Come on Die Young – Mogwai (1999, Chemikal Underground Records)
Most albums, or rather a lot of albums utilise something called the build. This is where a track sits and patiently builds itself up over a couple of choruses and verses before it explodes at exactly the right time. Muse, much I would expect to Mogwai’s displeasure are the current kings of the build.
However, back in 1999, Mogwai released ‘Come on Die Young’, which was their second album, and amongst all the incredible critical acclaim that followed it’s release (and every word of that acclaim is deserved, because it is a spectacular and remarkable album), Mogwai re-invented the build. Because, unlike most albums, or a lot of albums, ‘Come on Die Young’ builds as an album. It builds gracefully, simply, tenderly, intimately even over roughly nine songs before it erupts into this cascade of noise that then fills most of the rest of this extraordinary record.
Ex Cowboy – Mogwai (1999, Chemikal Underground Records)
‘Come on Die Young’ or ‘CODY’ to give it the nickname it was quickly given, is for those of you in the dark, a largely instrumental album of sullen and positively brooding post rock, where the intimate gracefulness I spoke of above is far from your mind when you first stick it on. What you expect it sound like is music that will evoke images of desolates landscapes, abandoned factories, burnt out cars and other things that add to that smell of a post industrial atmosphere that often surrounds post rock records.
Chocky – Mogwai (1999, Chemikal Underground Records)
You expect this record to be full of ear drum shredding blasts of endless guitars where volume and noise is the key and naming the first track ‘Punk Rock’ adds to that, naming it ‘Punk Rock’ and basing the sound around an old Iggy Pop sample doubly adds to that feeling.
Punk Rock – Mogwai (1999, Chemikal Underground)
But it’s what happens after ‘Punk Rock’ that will thrill and amaze you at the same time and starts up that intimacy and that tenderness and that gracefulness. Because, ‘Punk Rock’ fades away into this misty eyed wonder of a song called ‘Cody’ in which Mogwai head honcho, Stuart Braithwaite sings. Yup, you read that right. Mogwai, that band who declared themselves an instrumental band who made a big deal out of knowing exactly how musical intricacies should sound, gave us some lyrics that were delivered devastatingly beautifully by Braithwaite to the point where after you’ve picked your jaw up off the floor leaves you scratching your head and wondering why on earth they hadn’t done this before. ‘Cody’ is astonishing and it will tear your heart apart piece by piece soundtracked by Braithwaite’s softly sung sighs.
Cody – Mogwai (1999, Chemikal Underground Records)
The brilliance and the tenderness of ‘Cody’ is so good that it baffles me still, as to why Mogwai didn’t explore that direction more – but I guess that’s up to them, they are of course, as they constantly remind us – not that sort of band.
For the next six songs or so, ‘Come on Die Young’ is one of those albums that makes you feel all floaty and dreamlike, the music sounds vast and expansive and yet there is sense of quiet and unease about it.
Year 2000 Non-Compliant Cardia – Mogwai (1999, Chemikal Underground Records)
Yet it is a work of beauty, albeit a non conventional form of beauty, one that is full of youthful conflict that is surrounded in feedback – most of that conflict by the way, is unleashed devastatingly in the album highlight ‘Christmas Steps’
Christmas Steps – Mogwai (1999, Chemikal Underground Records)
Tremendous Stuff.
No Badger Required 