ALBUM REVIEW: Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

(Released on Sub-Pop, 2011)
Review by Michael Bird
                                             

4/5

Mogwai have become something of an anachronism in the post-rock world. The build-and-release dynamic initially so central to the genre has been eschewed by many post-rock bands of late (whether or not they want to be labelled post-rock) in favour of melodic change-ups and more varied textures. Up and comers North and, to a less extent, Yndi Halda have followed Explosions In The Sky in bringing more than two chords into play, playing with structure and exploring more of the dynamic range between forlorn guitar picking and balls-out distorted crescendo. Through all this Mogwai have, for the most part, remained staunchly loyal to the Slint-inspired church of post-rock; stretching two chord, 4/4 songs out to fifteen minutes in length, drowning guitars in cavernous reverb, and generally adhering to the central tenets of the genre. Surprisingly, given all this, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will finds Mogwai at their most experimental yet, finally stepping away from the sound they built their name on and rediscovering some of the things about post-rock that are actually fun.

There are only two tracks on the album that are thoroughly ‘traditional’ Mogwai, ‘White Noise’ and ‘You’re Lionel Richie’, which is the longest track on the album but clocks in at a mere eight and a half minutes. Song lengths have been cut in half or more, bringing some immediacy to Hardcore Will Never Die. Where the slow-burning dirge of a song like ‘Letters To The Metro’ might previously have been driven into the ground over ten minutes or more, the piano riff in the song is given time to establish itself, interweave with some counterpoint and then peter out over just four minutes. None of the emotion of the song is lost through brevity, and it’s really only through brevity that the limited emotional range of a band like Mogwai can seem fresh again after fifteen years.

Another way to make a band relevant and vibrant again is to add some new ingredients. 2003’s Happy Music For Happy People featured more electronic work than any previous Mogwai album, but it’s on Hardcore Will Never Die that the band really flex their experimental muscle. Angular vocoder of the sort Justin Vernon has been experimenting with of late dominates ‘George Square Thatcher Death Party’, creating an oddly hopeful atmosphere in spite of the de-humanizing effect such voice manipulation can often have. Robust synth and a motorik beat give ‘Mexican Grand Prix’ a compelling drive (I’m sure Mogwai intended the pun), and the song actually fades out a stuttering guitar melody that could have given way to a new section of the song. A post-rock band, Mogwai no less, fading out a melody that has only been audible for about thirty seconds. It is a startling change of pace, but a welcome one.

All these new ingredients, and a sort of collage of all the elements Mogwai has explored in previous elements, lend an exciting ‘what’s next?’ sort of feel to Hardcore Will Never Die. By the time ‘You’re Lionel Richie’ rolls around to close out the album, it’s almost a surprise to have the song build from mournful ambience to crushing, cymbal-backed distortion. Instead of being one of many classical post-rock cuts on the album, the song stands almost alone in its steadfast homage to the genre, and serves as a reminder that while it’s apparent they can experiment as well as any instrumental post-rock band, there’s a reason why Mogwai remain one of the giants of the genre.