With Rave Tapes, Mogwai sacrifices some of the diversity of
sounds and texture that can be found on most of their earlier albums in
favor of creating a tighter-sounding set of tracks, held together by
ominous synths that naturally mesh with their trademark guitar
orchestrations. But while Rave Tapes boasts some excellent moments, it's hard to shake the feeling that the album could have used a few more surprises.
Mogwai keeps things firmly mid-tempo throughout, and
tracks build to upper-mid-level peaks, but no higher. The standout
track "Remurdered", with it's twisting synth line, propulsive kick drum,
and rising waves of guitar feedback, seems to be the exception that
proves the rule. It's a menacingly fun ride among a collection of songs
that seem introverted in comparison. It's immediately followed by "Hexon
Bogon", which sounds ready to follow in it's footsteps until the song
ends suddenly at two-and-a-half minutes in, just as things are getting
interesting.
The only real oddity on the album is "Repelish",
which is overlaid with a tongue-in-cheek monologue describing the
supposed satanic messages hidden in Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven".
Why Mogwai decided to include such a tired rock 'n' roll story trope on
this track - delivered flatly and with zero character - is anyone's
guess. If you can ignore this scene-stealing distraction, the song's
repetitive chord progression hints at the unexplored potential of what
could have been a seriously compelling track.
Mogwai may not be pushing their limits on Rave Tapes, but does that mean they've made a sub-par album? Certainly not- Rave Tapes seethes
with caged energy, and is rich in dark atmosphere. Sonically, the
arrangements and overall mix create an attractively organic feel- full
of purring bass, resonant guitars, and drums that feel warm and dark
even when they're being pummeled. This is the sound of a band that is
usually heralded as "expansive" or "cinematic" packing their imposing
sound into a dark basement. It's a concentrated dose of Mogwai that
should leave fans satisfied, but some of these songs could simply use a
little more room to breathe.
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