Mogwai: Come On Die Young : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

As Ian Curtis of Joy Division once said, "Here are the young men/The weight on their shoulders." The Scottish band Mogwai, who are not yet old enough to rent a car in most states, have been charged with leading a British Isles indie-rock resurgence. Come On Die Young isn't quite all that, but it's a nifty achievement nonetheless, a balanced blend of heavy overdrive and subtle gestures. The mostly vocal-free Mogs create their brand of epic, often truly beautiful and strange wanderings with guitars, keyboards and flute (!?); "Kappa" and "Cody" stretch out their hooks until well past bedtime, as sampled bits of sportscasters fade in and out. Although they engage in a strummed mope similar to that of their pals and label mates Arab Strap, Mogwai aren't perennially down; the amp-breaking thunder of "Ex-Cowboy" uses rock as a verb without shame. The be-all and end-all of young rock noise? Don't believe the hype. But have the lads made an excellent collection of supermodern six-string thrum? Absolutely. (RS 810)

JOE GROSS