Mogwai, when loosely translated, means "ghost" in Cantonese. Whether the sonic Scots looked deeper into the origin of their name or simply saw the movie Gremlins remains to be seen. What doesn't, though, is how perfectly it describes their sound. Without the presence of a lead singer, Mogwai's music can sound like the shell of a band -- spacious but somehow dense, harmonious yet strangely amelodious. If there was such an instrument as a key-fects-drum-itar, its chords would sound like Mogwai.
The Hawk is Howling is chock full of mounting, epic instrumental odysseys and pretty, synthetic lullabies. Using a combination of brilliant textures and powerful, atypical chord progressions, Mogwai paint a picture equivalent to an auto-stereogram, popularized in those Magic Eye books 15 years ago. You almost need to loose your focus to let the music really sink in. Songs like "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead" and "Thank You Space Expert" are slow-building euphoric offerings destined for a visual counterpart. Much of Mogwai's music is perfect for movie soundtracks (think how Broken Social Scene set the tone for Half Nelson or Explosions in the Sky highlighted Friday Night Lights), light shows, or even staring at a sunset after smoking a joint.
Now, this isn't to say that Mogwai can't write a concise song with a kick-ass beat and melody. "Bat Cat," which could pass as a Tool B-side, shows their love for metal music, while "The Sun Smells Too Loud" makes you want to tap your feet and sing along, despite not having any words. Given the lack of lyrics, Mogwai use delightful linguistic nuances when naming their compositions, like the self-deprecating "Scotland's Shame" and -- my personal favorite -- "I Love You, I'm Going to Blow Up Your School," possibly a nod to the cult-classic movie Heathers.
I haven't referred to any individual band members, partly because every song has such a unique collection of sounds and rhythmic feels working in sweet symbiotic relation that it's perhaps best to refer to the band as a whole. That said, it might behoove Mogwai to have more of a dominant presence (Braithwaite perhaps?), as some of the songs tend to meander aimlessly the whole way through. If Mogwai's music is destined to be relegated as background ambiance intended to soundtrack your life, just remember to live it and not sit on the couch listening the whole time.
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