YOUNG TEAM

There isn't that much on here that really impressed me, but Mogwai pulls out a good number when I'm really looking for one. The overall sound is essentially droning guitars and crashing percussion with some keyboard excursions for good measure. Unfortunately, the bass, while present, doesn't really impact the sound.

The two longer songs will give many progsters a curious feeling, but both are one-idea extensions with little in terms of variety. That being stated, they can entice the listener's inner dreamer to go mind exploring. ''Like Herod'' is my easy pick for the album's top track because the dynamics are brilliant; it's quiet for some time before a metallicised explosion. And this is about six years before the Mars Volta started doing this. ''Mogwai Fear Satan'' sounds promising, but is essentially an indie-jangle pop song with sixteen minutes of run-time and occasional noisy moments.

The rest of YOUNG TEAM is a batch of shorter songs that don't have the nuances of the longer songs. ''Katrien'', ''Tracy'' and ''R U Still In 2 It'' are duller than dirt, the last one especially not doing the trick no thanks to the hideously mediocre vocals. ''With Portfolio'' could have been a highlight with a piano performance reminiscent of Hawkwind's ''One Time'' (DOREMI FASOL LATIDO), but it ends with the worst channel pinging ever. I know it's experimental, but it gives me a massive headache.

Songs like the opener and ''A Cheery Wave...'' are very good...when I'm actually listening to them. As impressive as YOUNG TEAM is, I can never enjoy the album unless I listen to it. Once I put it down, I don't have strong feelings for it (that was a little weird, no?). Impressive in practice, anonymous in theory, there isn't enough of an ''IT'' factor for me to feel for this album.