The Hawk Is Howling [Limited Edition]

Mogwai, Maximilian Hecker | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Limited Edition
• Label: Matador Records
• ASIN: B001CVCBLW
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #118,876 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead

2. Batcat

3. Danphe And The Brain

4. Local Authority

5. The Sun Smells Too Loud

6. Kings Meadow

7. I Love You, I'm Going To Blow Up Your School

8. Scotland's Shame

9. Thank You Space Expert

10. The Precipice

Disc: 2

1. DVD

Editorial Reviews

Mogwai's sixth album continues to showcase the fiercely layered guitars and dynamics of their classic work, and features a new array of rhythms and melodies. These hint more than ever before at their electronic and metal influences. Not only do they remain masters of the eloquently stretched guitar phrase, but they've also expanded the syntax to include a new, almost beat-driven sound. Limited deluxe CD+DVD in gatefold digipak includes video for "Batcat", directed by Dominic Hailstone (Aphex Twin), plus the Vincent Moon (The National) short film about Mogwai, "Before It Sounds".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good news for people who wish Happy Songs was a little less Happy..., October 8, 2008

By 

Storylover (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Hawk Is Howling (Audio CD)

Mogwai is the forefront of their particular brand of post-rock, sonic manipulatory, mood altering, mindscaping compositional cathedrals. Although comparisons with Sigur Ros will continue, Mogwai really has taken a grittier road than the more delicate post rock Icelandic heroes. Mogwai has never been scared to dwell on a reverberating power chord, and they definitely try to squeeze all the emotional resonance out of some pretty downtempo guitars as possible here. Does this take away from the power or intimacy of the music? By no means. If you enjoyed Happy Songs for Happy People, this probably going to satisfy you, although things are not quite as melodic as on that album. The fuzz guitar has been turned up significantly, and there is an increased use of chromaticism here that would have been out of place there. There is much less emphasis on melody, and more emphasis on power, raw waves of feedback being more common here.

Not that there aren't moments of piano driven beauty. The beginning of Daphne and the Brain is just lovely, with a swelling guitar behind the piano as a fantastic counterpoint. But for every Daphne and the Brain, there is a Batcat--a track that is loud, angry, and very upset about something. And ultimately, Daphne also swells and demands to be noticed. The soft crescendo of the songs can become a little predictable after a while, but is still worthwhile.

I am not sure if this will hold up as well over time as Happy Songs has for me, but I am certainly going to continue listening to it. I have awarded it 4 stars because it is beautiful, powerful, well constructed, but not precisely revelatory, and not really a grand step forward. Even so, it will be a welcome edition to the Mogwai catalog for years to come.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautifully Soft Hard Rock Album, December 2, 2008

By 

N. Hall - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hawk Is Howling (Audio CD)

While there are no drastic departures from the melodic, brooding, hopeful sound of previous Mogwai works, there are a few minor changes that add up. First of all, The Hawk is Howling contains no vocal elements at all. Also missing are most of the electronic dubbing and sampling of previous works, yielding some of their most organic tracks to date. Perhaps most importantly, this album seems much more straightforward than their other offerings, with an emphasis on power rather than intricacy. There's plenty of somber, crystalline structure here, but there's also a newfound willingness to write tunes you can hum or stomp along to. Each track, excepting perhaps "Batcat," has an immediately apparent melody that could be played by one or two people on keyboards without losing too much vitality, and most tracks feature heavy vamping. The resulting tunes are simple and memorable. Everything is a little more aggressive and less complex than on previous Mogwai efforts, without losing the depth and creativity they're known for. This is elegant work.

While the overall mood is fairly consistent, there's quite a lot of stylistic variety on The Hawk is Howling. The strangely named opener "I'm Jim Morrison I'm Dead," with it's shimmering piano line and powerful organs, sounds like what might happen if Mr. Spock wrote a Klingon opera. On the other hand, "The Sun Smells Too Loud" is upbeat, even danceable, conveying a sense of enjoyment with the emotive force most artists in this genre sadly reserve for melancholy. "Scotland's Shame" is a straightforward, driving anthem that will immediately setup housekeeping in your hippocampus. "Danphe and the Brain" and "Thank You Space Expert" are catchy numbers that sound like somebody bouncing wordless poems off the sky. "The Precipice" is the thing you jump off of at the end, wondering if you can fly, and if anyone else can either.

One thing that sets Mogwai apart from most of their post-rock brethren/followers is that their hard rock roots are deep and healthy. With the barely-bridled malice of tracks like "Batcat" and "I Love You, I'm Going to Blow Up Your School," Mogwai not only invite the space invasion, but threaten to beat it back as well. At once meditative and gripping, The Hawk is Howling has as much in common with Tool's Lateralus as with the latest from Explosions In The Sky or GY!BE. Imagine your favorite hard rock band had a spiritual epiphany and spent a few years in a secluded monastery; Mogwai is what they'd sound like when they came back down the mountainside and found you worshiping a golden calf.

Another thing that sets Mogwai apart is their willingness to just keep writing beautiful songs, without trying too hard to reinvent themselves at the behest of critics. I encourage you to ignore all the cliched buzzwords of a typical music review, and focus on what these artists focus on: the craftsmanship, imagination, and enjoyability of the music. There's nothing revolutionary here, but there's an awful lot to like, maybe even love. It's always a challenge to predict what somebody else will find beautiful, but The Hawk is Howling is a good introduction to Mogwai, and, if you appreciate this genre at all, a good bet to earn a prominent place in your music player of choice.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Soundscapes and Heavy Metal Combine, September 23, 2008

By 

Jeffrey A. Lunt - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hawk Is Howling (Audio CD)

For the uninitiated, Mogwai is one of the most popular (and most talented) "post-rock" bands in the world. They have been rocking and rolling for almost ten years and their albums stand as monuments to post-rock music. What is post-rock you ask? I don't know exactly...but I know I enjoy most music labeled as "post-rock."

"The Hawk is Howling" is another fine addition to the Mogwai catalog. Like every Mogwai release, the music captures many different emotions and sentiments.

The track sequencing is superb. (Listen to every track from the beginning to the end.) The album features both soft, meandering guitar pieces and loud, furious guitar pieces. The soft tracks and the loud tracks work together to create a unique experience.

The opening track, "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead," is gentle and melancholic and then it soars upward in volume and intensity.

Track two, "Batcat," explodes with layered, heavy guitars.

The next track, "Daphne and the Brain," is breathtaking (for lack of a better word). (Turn up the volume and soak it up.)

The next several tracks, "Local Authority," "The Sun Smells Too Loud," and "King's Meadow" are all flawless.

Track seven, "I Love You, I'm Going to Blow Up Your School," is gloomy and ominous, but perhaps the most thought-provoking track on the album.

Tracks eight and nine, "Scotland's Shame" and "Thank You Space Expert," are gentle, but more uplifting and positive.

And the final track, track ten, "The Precipice," builds to a fantastic and conclusive finish.

(Several B-Sides, not included on this version, are circulating throughout the internet; they are awesome too! But DO NOT download this album. Show some respect for the artistry and the artists.)

If you love post-rock music or music that never receives radio airtime, consider "The Hawk is Howling" from Mogwai. It's different; it's fresh.

Keep on rockin' and rollin'! Bring Mogwai home; order this album today.