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Post subject: Re: Kids Will Be Skeletons (the Mogwai thread)
Posted: Thu August 31, 2017 4:14 am
AnalLog
Joined: Mon January 07, 2013 5:30 pm Posts: 1588
My order arrived on Saturday, almost a week before the official release for Every Country's Sun. The album is really good. I'm not real keen on "Party in the Dark," but it fits in quite well in the excellent first half (1-5) of the album. The second half starts a little tepid with "20 Size" and "1000 Foot Face" (neither are bad, just not on the same level as the strongest tracks), but goes for gold in the last four songs and succeeds brilliantly.
It'll be a while before I can figure it in among the catalog as a whole, but it's a hit that redeems Rave Tapes' miss.
Post subject: Re: Kids Will Be Skeletons (the Mogwai thread)
Posted: Fri September 01, 2017 2:10 am
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Joined: Mon March 18, 2013 11:48 pm Posts: 5223 Location: A Dark Place
Read a couple of pre-release interviews where Stuart said Barry brought about 50% of the songwriting in for this album and he and Dominic were responsible for about 25% each.
Kinda surprises me, from most of the stuff I've read after "Rock Action," Stuart has dominated the songwriting duties.
Maybe Stuart is just being nice or maybe there was a change in band dynamics after John left.
Post subject: Re: Kids Will Be Skeletons (the Mogwai thread)
Posted: Mon September 04, 2017 5:20 am
An enigma of a man shaped hole in the wall between reality and the soul of the devil.
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 5:13 pm Posts: 39820 Location: 6000 feet beyond man and time.
Early impressions:
Coolverine: Sounds very generic post-rock, but I like generic post-rock, so I'm not complaining. Still, it's odd to hear it coming from Mogwai. This is a song I've heard a million times.
Party in the Dark: Those crashes are so annoying. Ruins the song. Just bad decisions all around. Get out of here, song.
Crossing the Road Material: Nice one. Something like How to Be a Werewolf. Good driving music.
20 Size: Very Mogwai.
Don't Believe the Fife: It does sound like an Atomic song. One of my favorites.
Old Poisons: Reminds me of Batcat. Not as good, but nothing is.
Every Country's Sun: Just Beautiful. Great closer.
Overall: Get's off to a rough start, which kinda put me off, but the rest of the album is great. Sounds like a tour through their albums. Crossing the Road Material, Don't Believe the Fife, and Every Country's Sun are cool.
Post subject: Re: Kids Will Be Skeletons (the Mogwai thread)
Posted: Wed September 06, 2017 7:34 pm
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Joined: Mon March 18, 2013 11:48 pm Posts: 5223 Location: A Dark Place
run2death wrote:
After about 30 listens.
Happy Songs for Happy People Mr Beast The Hawk Is Howling Young Team Every Country's Sun Come On Die Young Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will Rave Tapes Rock Action
Post subject: Re: Kids Will Be Skeletons (the Mogwai thread)
Posted: Mon September 11, 2017 6:15 pm
AnalLog
Joined: Mon January 07, 2013 5:30 pm Posts: 1588
Some track by track thoughts á la Burt, and occasionally in direct response to his thoughts:
Coolverine: I don't hear 'generic post-rock' in this. Okay, maybe a bit from the structure, but it's quite tempered in comparison to what it might be like if Explosions in the Sky wrote it. I love the atmosphere it generates; a kind of dichotomy of space that feels both wide open and oddly claustrophobic.
Party in the Dark: It's grown on me, but it's still cheese as all get out, and I don't really get what it's purpose is. It feels like a callback of sorts to "Mexican Grand Prix," but it's not as strong of a song, and doubly so without the former's thematic fit.
Brain Sweeties: Maybe my favorite song on the album. I like how it seems to be in a state of ever unfurling swell, never bursting, just shifting in textural expression.
Crossing the Road Material: Definitely a return to the feel of "How to Be a Werewolf," or even a bit of "White Noise," though it's a bit more meditative and less joyously exuberant than those two. One of those times where a Mogwai title actually feels descriptive of the tune. Another excellent song.
aka 47: That wide open space from "Coolverine," fully realized. Has Mogwai ever had an album track as ethereal as this one? Evokes a sense of floating darkness with occasional drifts of cold light.
20 Size: Of the three songs that I was cool on to start, this one has probably grown on me the most. It certainly has that "this is obviously Mogwai" sound, perhaps most akin to their approach on Rave Tapes, but I can't pin down another song that it actually sounds derivative of.
1000 Foot Face: Gentle and hypnotic, this one kind of reminds me of the way Mogwai approached songs with vocals on their first two albums. I think it fits the album better than "Party in the Dark," but has less replay value.
Don't Believe the Fife: I'll agree with our resident Mogwai guy that this is either an unused idea from the Atomic sessions or something that is intentionally using that template. Masquerades as another atmospheric number for the first half, before shifting into a more dynamic and structurally oriented piece.
Battered at a Scramble: Big guitar rock, with late '60s, early '70s feel. Might not sound too out of place next to Soundgarden or Pearl Jam, either. As long as Mogwai has been around, they've probably dipped into this style before, but if so, I can't recall.
Old Poisons: Little brother to "Glasgow Mega Snake" and "Batcat." It's been a little while since they've done a song like this, so it doesn't feel played out. More fun guitar fireworks, but not a standout in the end.
Every Country's Sun: Great closer. Sums up the album vibe; it's optimistic, but not cheery, while dark undertones exist without dragging it down.
Overall, the record is strong, but not quite on the same level as their best work. That's owed, in part, to the fact that several songs are a bit too derivative of some of their older material. Thus, there's a feel of it being a greatest hits but made of new songs, or somehow a reimagining of old scores or something.
Post subject: Re: Kids Will Be Skeletons (the Mogwai thread)
Posted: Mon September 11, 2017 9:15 pm
AnalLog
Joined: Mon January 07, 2013 5:30 pm Posts: 1588
I got an email from Temp Res that the vinyl was delayed, and no projection for when it would arrive, even though I didn't buy the vinyl. Weird that you heard different, R2D.
Post subject: Re: Kids Will Be Skeletons (the Mogwai thread)
Posted: Wed September 20, 2017 4:01 pm
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Joined: Mon March 18, 2013 11:48 pm Posts: 5223 Location: A Dark Place
Brett wrote:
I got an email from Temp Res that the vinyl was delayed, and no projection for when it would arrive, even though I didn't buy the vinyl. Weird that you heard different, R2D.
Yeah, got an e-mail yesterday saying the vinyl would be available this Friday.
Not sure why I was told there wasn't a delay when I asked through FB Messenger.
Post subject: Re: Kids Will Be Skeletons (the Mogwai thread)
Posted: Mon October 02, 2017 6:59 pm
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Joined: Mon March 18, 2013 11:48 pm Posts: 5223 Location: A Dark Place
Quote:
We are sorry to announce that due to ill health, Martin will be unable to join us for our BBC sessions this week and upcoming live shows until further notice.
To say the least, we are all absolutely gutted but wish him a super speedy recovery so he can get back behind the drums and rejoin the tour as soon as possible.
We are lucky to have recruited and offer a warm welcome to Cat Myers from Honeyblood who will stand in for Martin while he recovers.
Post subject: Re: Kids Will Be Skeletons (the Mogwai thread)
Posted: Thu November 23, 2017 2:36 pm
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Joined: Mon March 18, 2013 11:48 pm Posts: 5223 Location: A Dark Place
He always plays to the FAR right (like 3 feet from the on-stage tech guy) and I was in the middle, three people back. So I couldn't get a wide enough shot to get in all of the stage.
It's kinda strange, but it's like they didn't want to switch up stage positions once John left.
Post subject: Re: Kids Will Be Skeletons (the Mogwai thread)
Posted: Wed April 11, 2018 3:16 pm
jeeeesus relax already
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 5:10 pm Posts: 36265
Listened to the last album this morning and i was surprised on how boring the second half was...the songs seem so generic, so dull. They seem unfinished almost.
Post subject: Re: Kids Will Be Skeletons (the Mogwai thread)
Posted: Fri April 27, 2018 1:43 pm
AnalLog
Joined: Mon January 07, 2013 5:30 pm Posts: 1588
New tune, "Donuts," put out for some movie called Kin. It's got the contemporary shimmery 'gwai vibe going on, so it could have easily slotted in on Every Country's Sun. Supposedly, according to the band's Twitter, they're actually doing the whole soundtrack to the film, so I guess this is the first "single."
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