Reviews / / 17 · 02 · 2021
Mogwai are a busy band. Many acts nearing the end of their third decade would be forgiven for slowing their pace, for being selective in their output, and even for running out of ideas. Not Mogwai. This will be their fourth studio album in the last 10 years - a decade which has also seen them release three EPs, two live albums, a lovingly compiled six LP best-of, one remix album, and five original scores - albums which themselves have been critically acclaimed in their own right.
Originally set to be recorded in the US, the pandemic of 2020 saw the band relocate to the Worcestershire countryside, while producer Dave Fridmann worked remotely from across the Atlantic. An unusual setup, in an unusual year, but the results are startlingly focussed; ‘As The Love Continues’ sees Mogwai cover diverse sonic ground, drawing from many of their most interesting and successful creative peaks from previous albums.
Mogwai have shared their new single Ritchie Sacramento - tune in now.
The Scottish post-rock group s new album As The Love Continues hits home on February 19th, following extensive sessions last year. Ritchie Sacramento - the title came from a misunderstanding a friend of ours had about how to say Ryuichi Sakamoto , says Stuart Braithwaite - is one of Mogwai s more direct moments, it s endearing vocal having a sighing, shoegaze quality.
The wistful vocal is set against powerhouse drumming, and some typically cinematic guitar lines, aspects that conjure visions of those epic live shows.
Stuart Braithwaite continues: The lyrics were inspired by a story Bob Nastanovich shared about his friend and bandmate David Berman who proclaimed Rise Crystal Spear as he threw a shovel at a sports car. The song is dedicated to all the musician friends we’ve lost over the years.