After being promised a return to their punishing roots with forthcoming album Mr.Beast, Mogwai's new single, Friend Of The Night, comes as a bit of a surprise. Far from having you reaching for the earplugs, the track finds the Scottish post-rock giants at their melodic and beauteous best.
Starting, in the best Mogwai traditions, with a whisper, gentle guitar plucking, careful rhythmic drumming and shimmering piano all build into a majestic main theme. Somewhat uniquely for the Glasgow ear-bashers, piano is always at the fore; even when some more brutal guitar action appears towards the end, the volume is always kept below that of those tinkling ivories.
Even at their loudest Mogwai have never forgotten the importance of a tune, setting them apart from some of their contemporaries, and this is very much in evidence here. Friend Of The Night represents the first time the band have released a single from an album, and it can only be hoped that it promotes yet more followers of a truly fine band who continue to go from strength to strength.
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