Glasgow post-rock outfit Mogwai carved out a name for themselves in the 1990s and early 2000s with their expansive, idiosyncratic soundscapes and intense live performances. Their early collections, including the likes of Mogwai Young Team and Happy Songs For Happy People, remain immensely well loved by a loyal following who have grown with the band over the years.

Then in the mid-noughties, Mogwai discovered their immense talent for soundtracks. It began with the 2006 documentary Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, a profile of the French footballer, and before long they were working on all manner of projects, from 2018 science fiction film Kin to last year’s Amazon Prime TV crime series ZeroZeroZero. Along the way, fans must have started to wonder if the band still had the urge to create conventional (or as conventional as Mogwai get anyway) studio albums: their last, and ninth – Every Country’s Sun – was released some four years ago.

As The Love Continues thankfully sees the band back in the studio (or rather its online equivalent), but the cinematic feel of their recent work is carried into this new release. And that is absolutely no bad thing. Opening track To The Bin My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earth (fans will notice that Mogwai’s eye for an odd song name hasn’t faded with time) is an expansive, engrossing affair, while Dry Fantasy is the sort of enigmatic instrumental effort Sigur Ros have specialised in for years.

There are some more conventional numbers too, the picks of which are the joyous Richie Sacramento, the only track here on which frontman Stuart Braithwaite tacks a lead vocal, and the deliciously effects-laden electro angst of Fuck Off Money. 

Sadly, the new album doesn’t yet coincide with the band touring as the UK remains in lockdown (except their recently released online live show, which saw them play through the new album in its entirety), which is a huge shame as As The Love Continues is a record crying out for live shows. Until then though, we’ll just have to enjoy it from the comfort of our own homes. 

As The Love Continues tracklist:

1. To The Bin My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earth
2. Here We, Here We, Here We Go Forever
3. Dry Fantasy
4. Richie Sacramento
5. Drive The Nail
6. Fuck Off Money
7. Ceiling Granny
8. Midnight Flit
9. Pat Stains
10. Supposedly, We Were Nightmares
11. It’s What I Want To Do, Mum

Watch the official video for Richie Sacramento here.

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.