HAPPY SONGS FOR HAPPY PEOPLE

Probably the most essential post-rock release to date. Let it be said; I love Young Team, Come On Die Young and Rock Action, but not even the best tracks from those three albums combined would make up a record anywhere near the brilliance of Happy Songs For Happy People. HSFHP is post-rock at its best. Mogwai has finally developed from a young, talented, and rebellious group of Scottish musicians into a full-grown world class orchestra that once and for all differentiate themselves from the monotony of the classic post-rock formula of instrumental calm-climax-calm compositions. Even 1-2 minutes into every song you simply have no clue how it's going to end. As a result of this every single track on HSFHP is different than the previous one, not just regarding the composition, but also moods, emotions, and main instruments, i.e. Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep -> Ratts of the Capital. The only 'real' Mogwai-style track on HSFHP is one of my all-time favourites by any group, Ratts of the Capital. I'm not even going to describe this gem, you'll have to buy the record and hear it for yourself to understand how truly magnificent it is. And this goes for the eight other songs too.

If my English were a little better, I would love to go into further details on this album, but I'll spare you. Instead I advise you to read the reviews by Bryan Adair and FloydWright.