Mogwai – The Bad Fire

As veteran indie stalwarts Mogwai enter their 30th year of existence, they find themselves at a crossroads. Since their inception in 1995, they've gone from rebels raging against the Britpop machine to bastions of Glasgow's alternative music scene to their present number one record-selling elder-statesmen status. Crucially, however, Mogwai have never compromised in their vision. So the ensuing victory lap for 2021's As the Love Continues was justifiably earned, celebrating one of Scotland's most beloved musical acts.

Following up a band's first taste of mainstream success ordinarily would be a tough task. However, when you have ten studio albums and countless film soundtracks under your belt, Mogwai meet the challenge handily. The Bad Fire, a Scottish working-class phrase for 'hell', reflects upon Mogwai's 30-year career while looking ahead to a bright future. Opener God Gets You Back triumphantly encapsulates this by building layer-upon-layer of swirling synths, dynamic rhythm section interplay and Stuart Braithwaite's simmering, modulated vocal melody.

It's a record that calls back on various points from their oeuvre, such as the sparse atmospherics of Come On Die Young on the impressively unnerving Hi Chaos and What Kind of Mix is This? or the bombast of Happy Songs For Happy People while offering a fresh and, dare I say it, poppier version of the band on stompers such as Fanzine Made of Flesh or Lion Rumpus.

Among these brighter arrangements, however, is a pervasively darker mood, responding to the recent personal traumas Mogwai's members have suffered. While not made directly obvious thanks in part to the band's abstract song titles and predominantly instrumental setup, the middle section of the record, from the wistful Pale Vegan Hip Pain to the heartbreakingly vulnerable 18 Volcanos – which features Braithwaite's best and most exposed vocal performance since Punk Rock/CODY as well as My Bloody Valentine-inspired layers of fuzz – is its emotional core.

And yet, that is the transcendental nature of Mogwai's music summed up to a tee. Hammer Room masterfully brings the mood back up, reflecting perfectly how the Glasgow quartet can expertly balance light and dark while closing track Fact Boy elevates the listener onto a cosmic plane displaying the healing nature of their music.

Overall, The Bad Fire proves this legendary group can still produce moving, intelligent and vital work even as they embark on their fourth decade. As their lockdown-inspired success proved, Mogwai remain a guiding light in dark, troubling times.

Listen to: Hi Chaos, 18 Volcanos, Lion Rumpus