by Donte Kirby
Happy Songs for Happy People by Mogwai is the opposite of happy- or it’s exactly what you would expect it to sound like depending on how much you internet. Dark, melancholy tones are the rule of the day here. The happiest song on the album is “Kids Will Be Skeletons” and it evokes feelings of nature and wide expanse at its most vibrant sections.
Mogwai is light on the vocals and heavy on the instrumentation. Songs from their fourth album like “Stop Coming to my House” sounds like the score for the closing scene of a critically acclaimed redemptive tragedy set in a post-apocalyptic techno world where nature has retaken the earth and humans have finally accepted their place in the circle of life. Movie scores are not new to Mogwai, with the scores for The Fountain, Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait and Les Revenants under their belt.
When there is vocalization in songs like “Boring Machines Disturb Sleep” it is melodic and another instrument within itself, playing a supporting role to Mogwai’s ephemeral guitars. Lyricism is not lost, although Mogwai vocals are often intelligible. Song titles like “Killing All the Flies” and “I Know You Are but What Am I” are stories within themselves. Even if the words aren’t understood, together with the song titles and emotive vocals the meaning of tracks on Happy Songs for Happy People is still felt.
The post-rock UK band is far from lost and easily found with a recent their most recent release Rave Tapes dropping early last year. Longtime fans of Mogwai and newcomers alike can find something worth cracking a smile about in a listen of Happy Songs for Happy People.
