Mogwai - Ten Rapid (1997)

This is a collection of Mogwai’s early e.p.’s released between 1995 and 1997 and ranks amongst their best work. Oddly the collection has cohesive feel, something that several of their albums have lacked. Rather than waiting around for something to happen, Stuart Braithwaite and his Glaswegian cohorts head straight for post-rocks ripe jugular. Mogwai's great gift has always been their ability to layer on the bombast without ever sounding bombastic. When a plethora of guitars play off each other like a knowing group of friends, the sound is too gorgeous to describe. Like an ocean that is too calm to be reassuring, Mogwai go about their business with the expressed intention of clearing out as many cobwebbed ears as possible.

'Helicon 1' is a riveting 6 minutes of deep valley grooves and high mountain peaks. It starts out like laser guided melodies and as it gets more spiritualistic the overflow finally prompts a wall of sound that has a spectacular mural scratched into its being. ‘Helicion 2’ is like a quieter older brother, studied and calm yet authoritative. 'A Place For Parks' is even more inhibited but surfaces with a killer hook that hides the idle chat in the background. 'Summer' adopts one of those Mogwai tricks where the tune flips between brilliantly effervescent and hopelessly storming. Like the butterfly that suddenly produces fangs its collage of raging guitars is still sweetly beautiful.

'Angels Versus Aliens' is particularly subversive, beginning as does all twinkle starry which then transforms into a huge juggernaut on a collision course with your mind. This is startlingly creative music that will have you sitting up in your couch praying the antique dressing table opposite is not haunted. 'Tune' is one of those rare beauties where Mogwai allow vocals to get a look in. It is slow paced number with a solid bass hook that provides a welcome break from the chaos that surrounds it. It is the calm in the eye of the storm. There is much to love about 'Ithica 27 0 9', one minute it's a laid-back ditty with jangly pretences and then suddenly shards of guitars fly at you with an incredible ferocity. Only the final track 'End' which is a hopeless tirade of backward loops that possess no real conviction.

Ten Rapid has a big ambition, divulging Mogwai’s agenda to such good effect that they have struggled to recapture its consistency. Ten Rapid has a lot more to say than your average album with vocals and is indispensable for anyone with a penchant for guitar portraits. Only in its death throes where 'End' opts for a hopeless tirade of backward loops does the bands confident invention diminish. Along the way there are enough joyful detours to fill a map of middle earth.

Rating: 8.5/10

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