It’s truly remarkable that Glasgow’s Mogwai have been creating their wondrous soundscapes for 30 years. I recently read Stuart Braithwaite’s excellent book Spaceships Over Glasgow which documented his lifestyle in their early years. I had no idea of his affinity for all things rock n’ roll excess, you’d never have known from their music. It was also truly remarkable that their last album, As The Love Continues managed to hit the number one spot in the UK. Released at the end of the pandemic, the record was exactly the tonic we all needed.
Their 11th studio album, not including soundtracks or compilations, entitled The Bad Fire has been created with keyboard/synth/guitar player Barry Burns having endured a harrowing time watching his daughter suffer with serious illness. In Glasgow, ‘the bad fire’ is a working-class term for hell. Thankfully his daughter is in a better place now and Burns’ pain has turned into some remarkable art as the album heavily leans on a spacey synth sound. Recorded with John Congleton, who previously worked with Sigur Rós and Explosions In The Sky, the ten tracks within find the band showing no sign of creative stagnation.
Opening song ‘God Gets You Back’ relies on whirling synths to build up an ice cool backdrop for the clipped drums to strike up a fidgety beat, guitars maintain a low-key presence. As is often their wont, we get some ultra filtered vocals and the overall tone points to the electro stylings of Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will. A nifty wee off kilter loop underpins the shimmering skank of ‘Hi Chaos’ which pulls off the neat trick of sounding like other Mogwai tracks, yet having it’s own wee quirks and pleasurable nudges into fuzzier tones. The shrill guitar that glides over the distorted passages sounds not unlike an old Spectrum 48k computer loading up a game. ‘What Kind Of Mix Is This?’ fuses chiming synths, striking guitars and a monstrous lumbering bass roll from Dominic Aitchison, while Martin Bulloch’s dexterous drumming fills any void.
‘Fanzine Made Of Flesh’ is an all-out pop tune with vocodered voices robotically intoning the joyous melody. Each play reveals new layers of synths with a host of kooky wee melodic bursts pulling you in different directions. The band launch into a full-on astro blasting sequence at the track’s end, sounds like they had a riot creating it. ‘Pale Vegan Hip Pain’ takes things down considerably with a mournful atmospheric created with poignantly plucked guitars. The heartbreaking melody played out shows just how an instrumental band can really engage the listener, despite the lack of vocals or words.
Continuing the downbeat atmospheric, the tragically named ‘If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some Of The Others’ takes a minimal approach for the first section building with brooding intensity. The crushing guitars that layer up as Martin’s drums and cymbals get a workout will have heads nodding in appreciation. As with all heavy Mogwai tracks the cacophony rages hard and when THAT monumental wall of noise drops around the five-minute mark I’m grinning like a drunk chimp. With my mindset now roaming around a dark wasteland the delicate ’18 Volcanoes’ finds Stuart singing a tender ballad with a minimal instrumentation of fuzzy bass and a myriad of slinky synths. The chorus erupts with an overdriven fuzzy tone and little rays of hope peak through the gloom.
‘Hammer Room’ has an almost playful synthy swirl and a clicky drum loop that culminates in an uplifting melodic number. The drums hip hop about numerous patterns that all point to the dancefloor, believe it or not. It’s the most un-Mogwai track on the album. Ever ones to invent the most bizarre song titles, the wonderfully monikered ‘Lion Rumpus’ goes straight for the jugular by kicking off the distortion pedals from the get-go. The widdly-diddly guitar solo that belches forth before long is equal parts absurd, thing of wonder. The vocoder renders the vocals indecipherable but in the best possible way. The screeching guitar that wreaks havoc at the end never fails to excite. Yes, rumpus is the perfect summation of this blast of a song. Bonus points if you can work out what they shout at the end.
Closing track ‘Fact Boy’ weaves a wonderfully woozy melody to introduce one of the best Mogwai songs committed to tape. Beautiful twinkles fall elegantly like fireflies as a truly enchanting piece of music unfurls itself in front of you. Layers of heart-breaking melodies drift into your headspace as the track gloriously rises in volume. Slowly the shimmering sounds of a violin permeate the mix, and I ask myself why Mogwai don’t utilise this magical instrument more often. Fading out with a glorious splurge of effects and noises you’re left with a cleansed feeling that all is well with the world. Music this good is always provides magical healing powers to change a mood.
This album really has to be played with headphones or earphones to ensure the listener becomes fully immersed in the aural delights this band have lovingly created. The attention to detail and how every sound is slotted perfectly throughout is what makes The Bad Fire so special. Investing time with it will prove richly rewarding. Mogwai are absolute masters of their craft, this album is wondrously deceptive and ultimately ranks as one of their best.
