By L.C. Graf-Juarez
8 EP’s and still kicking, Mogwai’s “Earth Division” is striking and magical just like everything else they’ve ever created (any surprise there?).
Although a question needs to brought up when “Get to France” opens with its haunting piano. Just how much time did Mogwai spend playing Kingdom Hearts before recording? Not that this is at all a bad thing, just that the song is very much like the melody that would play somewhere between the Boss and (if you know anything about Kingdom Hearts) losing Kairi. The composer of the Kingdom Hearts scores, Yoko Shimomura is a musical genius, so no complaints here.
I digress. Besides the quirky memories of intense PS2 button mashing, Mogwai gets back to their usual selves with “Hound of Winter” with the same whispery vocals that became ever popular with “Acid Food” from the album Mr. Beast, although with a slight difference. Mogwai seems to be keeping with their acoustic post-rock methods with the exception of “Drunk and Crazy” although there was hope for more synth-composed beats as seen in the album “Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will.”
Oh well, Mogwai’s latest EP isn’t to be taken for granted, as each track does bring something new to the table. Here’s for hoping a new album will be an even greater mix of synth and acoustics.
