Article for www.nomoreworkhorse.com
Showing posts with label Aidan Moffat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aidan Moffat. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Thursday, May 9, 2024
Arab Strap – I’m totally fine with it don’t give a fuck anymore – Album Review
Review for www.nomoreworkhorse.com
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Thursday, December 1, 2022
Monday, July 18, 2022
Monday, May 9, 2022
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Friday, July 20, 2018
Interview with Aidan Moffat
Interview for www.nomoreworkhorse.com
https://nomoreworkhorse.com/2018/07/20/interview-with-aidan-moffat/
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Monday, January 1, 2018
Friday, April 8, 2016
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Songs: Ohia - The Lioness
For Jason Molina's fourth album as Songs: Ohia, The Lioness, he decamped to Scotland and recorded with Alasdair Roberts and David Gow and Aidan Moffat from Arab Strap. The results were released in 2000, and from the opening chords of The Black Crow it's clear things his outlook has darkened a little. Molina sings a long, bleak tale of dead crows and getting weaker over simple, descending chords. The track builds gradually, developing into a pounding rhythm towards the end. Tigress shows that he can still do slinky, and this one harks back to previous albums like Impala or Axxess & Ace. The sound of the album is pretty consistent throughout, tracks like Nervous Bride, Coxcomb Red and the title track work as a song cycle, rather than a bunch of songs just bundled together. Being In Love sounds like it's using one of Arab Strap's drum machines as Molina sings "being in love means you are completely broken". Later, Back On Top and Baby Take A Look are two of the sparser, slower moments here, with echoes of Smog thoughout both.
Definitely stronger than its predecessors, The Lioness shows a major leap forward Jason Molina, setting him up for future, fuller albums.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Album Review: Mogwai - Young Team
But the album is probably best known for its second track, the 11 minute Like Herod, which mopes along for two minutes before becoming very quiet indeed. This is the time to get scared, the quieter the track gets, because you know that sooner or later there's going to be a wallop of guitars which, even though I know it's coming, still manages to frighten the bejasus out of me.
After this, the rest of the album seems a little low-key. Katrien does the moody Mogwai thing perfectly, and after brief piano piece Radar Maker, they even find time for a bit of beauty, on the glockenspiel-led Tracy. The guitars are turned down a notch or two so as not to disturb an exquisite melody, though they come roaring back in on following track Summer.
Another piano piece With Portfolio collapses into noise before its conclusion before Aidan Moffat takes lead vocals on the shimmeringly melodic R U Still In 2 It. His understated delivery works really well before being joined by the rest of the band. A Cheery Wave From Stranded Youngsters is a kind of awkward piano shuffle before the epic final track Mogwai Fear Satan. A sixteen minute running time gives the wall of guitars ample time to ebb and flow, startling and soothing in equal measure, even fitting in a flute halfway through.
You can almost hear the band setting down a template for modern instrumental rock. In my opinion, they have more enjoyable albums, but this one truly shows off Mogwai's range of dynamics.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
EP Review: Mogwai - EP+6
Xmas Steps is another lengthy track which builds through several movements over 11 minutes. The guitars gradually get louder before becoming noisy and distorted, eventually giving way to violin. Rollerball is a keyboard-based piece, while Small Children In The Background which accentuates the ambient noise and downplays the melody before giving way to another heavy blast of noise.
The final four tracks are a lot more tranquil and digestible. Stanley Kubrick glides along as guitars sigh over a stately melody, while Christmas Song has a genuinely festive sounding keyboard-based melody. Burn Girl: Prom Queen features the Cowdenbeath Brass Band centre-stage on an almost jazzy funereal piece. Final track Rage: Man sees the return of some noise.
This is a document of late 90s Mogwai, pushing the boundaries of guitar music. A must-own for Mogwai fans.
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