Mogwai - Happy Songs For Happy People
[PIAS]

It must be difficult for Mogwai when deciding what direction to take the next album, if 'Rock Action' was the band discovering their mellow side then this is the 'gwai realising that quiet really is the new loud. This isn't to say that 'Happy Songs' is lacking any agression or impact, it's just the lads have concentrated more on song structure instead of the quiet, then loud, then quiet pattern that tended to dog their earlier albums.

'Hunted By A Freak' starts where 'Rock Action' left off, vocodered robot vocals fused with chiming stripped down guitars, ending in a burst of feedback and distortion - their sound of old still as new as ever. 'Moses I Amn't' is the most un-Mogwai track in their career so far, based entirely on a haunting looped synth, melancholic violins awash the background while a faint drum machine slowly pounds and whips away. This is the direction the band should really take for their next full release, if they don't step too much into Radiohead territory, the results could be wonderful. Regardless of their titles, 'Kids Will Be Skeletons' and 'Killing All Flies' are actually quite uplifting and shock, Summery.

Another notable change throughout this album is the shortness of the individual pieces, compared to say, the 10 minute anthems such as 'Xmas Steps'. The feedback and faint drum beat led 'Boring Machines Disturb Sleep' sees the band turning to Ambient influences such as Eno. 'Golden Porsche' and 'I Know You Are But What Am I' are beautiful, gorgeous numbers, definitely a maturity in song writing has developed between the last release. 'Stop Coming To My House' however, is LOUD, but we love it and it's good to see they still have it in them.

'Happy Songs' sees Mogwai toying with different technology and they do it so well, they should really bite the bullet and attempt a full on electronic masterpiece, combining their excellent use of melody with computers.