Mogwai – “Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will” [Album Review]

Scottish post-rock legends Mogwai have released their newest full length, and if the music is anything to go by, it seems that Glasgow is getting sunnier these days. Brathwaite and Co. are at least feeling the warmth, as they inflect Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will’s 45 minutes with some of the lightest, brightest arrangements they’ve ever created.

They continue the trend of darkly humorous titling, evident in the album’s name and the song titles (listed below), which remind the listener that even as the band puts a new angle on their sound, they continue to exude the same personality which has cemented them as fan-favourites. It’s this mix between the new and old, the prototype and the innovation, which makes Hardcore… such a strong album.

One of the most noteworthy steps this album takes is in upping the visual ante; evident in the striking cover art. Up against the multitude of images marking albums from 1997’s Mogwai Young Team to the most recent The Hawk is Howling, the newest Mogwai release is by far the most aesthetically powerful. The dark, urban landscape soaks the viewer in the damp mist of a Scottish city, while the bright sonance pleasantly compliments the gothic din.

The music is itself a welcome addition for long-time fans; the heavy beat/droning guitar duet of the opening track reinforces the cacophonic norms while the upbeat instrumental flavors which follow offer a unique twist on the band’s standard sound. Mogwai have notoriously despised the post-rock epithet, and Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will is a record which clarifies this Scottish treasure as an enigma – indeterminate, indefinable, and irreducibly exceptional.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. White Noise
02. Mexican Grand Prix
03. Rano Pano
04. Death Rays
05. San Pedro
06. Letters To The Metro
07. George Square Thatcher Death Party
08. How To Be A Werewolf
09. Too Raging To Cheers
10. You’re Lionel Ritchie

Run Time: 53:08
Release Date: 02.14.2011

Check out the song: “Rano Pano”