The MG Album Club - #43: Mogwai - Happy Songs For Happy People

[Unsomnambulist]

Mogwai - Happy Songs For Happy People



I get that the band were being ironic with the album title, but way back when (early 2000s), when my brain seemed to have more brain chemicals, this album WOULD totally make me happy and feel good. As I've gotten older, and my brain has less dopamine in abundance, I still very much enjoy it. It has highs, lows, so don't play it on Bose!

A cinematic Post-Rock album that breathes.

 

[Nickyboy]

You recommended this to me waaaaay back. I know I listened to it then. Time to revisit!

 

[Nickyboy]

I love it. It's very good background music that doesn't actually fade completely into the background. There is plenty to pay attention to as the music swings into aural focus and then back out throughout the pieces. I guess I could call them songs, but as Elizabeth Frasier from the Cocteau Twins said once, "I can't understand what that guy is mumbling about".
I remember listening another album of theirs with an eagle on the cover, and I liked that one too. I think I need to do a deep dive into Mogwai.

 

[Old Uncle Toe]

So there was this show with this outro music that I really liked, but I knew it was written by a TV music guy and there was no point in trying to find an album.

Anyway, today I cranked up the album at hand, not expecting much. I've never heard of this band and didn't get much of a feel of it from Unsom's description. But the first two tracks slid by and just like Nicky said, they kind of floated in and out of focus in a very pleasant way.

This isn't my grandfa... er, grandson's ambient. It's a little deeper. It actually has melodies and rhythms. I began to like it.

And then along came the third track "Kids Will Be Skeletons." I enjoyed it very much. I like the way the guitar and organ swell in and out, and the faux seagull sounds and all that. It reminded me of that old music from that old show. It was a nice listen in exactly the same way. Very peaceful, but still interesting, all the while breeding anticipation for the rest of the song.

So with that nice connection, I looked forward to the rest of the album. There were some ups (Kids Will Be Skeletons, Killing All The Flies) and some downs (most of the middle of Stop Coming To My House). But all in all, I just plain enjoyed it.

Good pick @Unsomnambulist. I'm glad to be introduced to this band and I look forward to them being in rotation for background music for my day job.

 

[Nickyboy]

I'm glad to be introduced to this band and I look forward to them being in rotation for background music for my day job.

That's my plan coming up.

 

[Ojai Sam]

I discovered Mogwai courtesy of this wonderful music blog:

100 GREATEST BOOTLEGS +

a blog about the greatest bootlegs available on the internet

100greatestbootlegs.blogspot.com

The live show proved to be an unexpected delight but I never got around to their studio work. Big thanks to Unsom for righting that wrong. I played this on a couple of recent dog walks and found the album very engaging. As everyone notes, it’s deceptively low key with lots going on below the surface.

on the Sam-O-Meter.

 

[Ojai Sam]

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Far from my style, but happy I listen to this. Mellow, elegantly constructed. I don't know if I'd turn to this outside of someone who knows music, like Unsom, suggesting it. Years ago, I didn't understand why people listened to electronic music, what people found in it (yes there are guitars, drums her but a lot of synths), but hearing the different layers, the textures, the moments the creators choose to add, say, strings, I can see it now through albums like this and others you guys have suggested here. Strongly wired in traditional rock/pop, I'm not sure I'll ever get to reaching for that post-rock album on the shelf, but I have indeed learned a lot over the past decade

 

[axolotl]

What can I say about Mogwai?

I have three of their CDs, and this is not one of them. But, it should be.

So, what can you say about Mogwai? Never get them wet, and don't feed them after midnight.