I liked it a lot -- much better than "Rave Tapes." Like most modern Mogwai albums, there are a few songs that feel like they amount to little more than nondescript walls of electro-guitar noise, but overall I think it's really solid. "Are You a Dancer?" is my favorite track.
It's not a "wow" song, but it has some enjoyable melodies, and the use of ambient and electronic textures is a nice outgrowth from what they were doing on parts of Rave Tapes and much of Atomic. If the album is better than the former of those two, I'll be satisfied.
LOVE the new song. A really nice melding of the "electronic" elements of Rave Tapes and their moodier soundtrack work.
This band feels so ambidextrous at this point. Even if it's not fully realized or perfectly executed (like Rave Tapes), it's a joy to see where they take it.
Mogwai are what they are at this point -- they push a little this way and pull a little that way, but I don't imagine there are any major surprises coming from them in the future, as anything beyond the boundaries they've already established would seem pretty disingenuous. Bands always feel a little workmanlike when they get to this stage but it does allow the compositions and performances to stand on their own free of any kind of expectation, and I think this new one holds up nicely -- lovely melody, great atmosphere, which is pretty much what I go to these guys for (the deafening noise blasts that pop up on occasion are a nice bonus, but fewer and further between these days).
yeah, i listened the new one a few more times and its cool. I always expect this big departure from what they are doing and feel a little bit overwhelmed when i dont get it...but its on me.