As the Love Continues

Last updated

As the Love Continues
Mogwai-As-The-Love-Continues.jpg
Studio album by
Mogwai
Released19 February 2021 (2021-02-19)
Recorded2020
StudioVada Studios, Alcester, England
Genre Post rock
Length61:23
Label
Producer Dave Fridmann
Mogwai chronology
ZeroZeroZero
(2020)		As the Love Continues
(2021)

As the Love Continues is the tenth studio album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 19 February 2021 on Rock Action Records in the UK and Europe, and on Temporary Residence Limited in the US. [1] Its UK release date marked the 25th anniversary of Mogwai's first single, "Tuner/Lower". [2] It was preceded by the single "Dry Fantasy", and the streaming of a live concert of the album played in full.

Contents

As the Love Continues was met with near universal critical and fan acclaim, including a Mercury Prize nomination in 2021. [3] The album topped the UK charts in its first week of release, a position that the band called "totally surreal". [4]

Overview

The album is the successor to 2017's Every Country's Sun , and was again produced by Dave Fridmann. Due to the COVID pandemic, it was recorded at Vada Studios in the UK, with Fridmann producing remotely from the United States. [2] It features contributions from Atticus Ross and Kirk Hellie ("Midnight Flit") and Colin Stetson ("Pat Stains"). [2] The lead single, "Dry Fantasy" was released for download on 29 October 2020, [5] and two other tracks ("Ritchie Sacramento" and "Pat Stains") were also shared prior to the album's release. [6] [7] On 13 February, the weekend before the album's release, the band streamed a recording of a live show at Glasgow Tramway where they played the album in full. [8] [9]

The cover art, by David ("DLT") Thomas, features an image of a stuffed white fox, based on a Library of Congress glass negative image taken in Russia in 1910 by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky. [lower-alpha 1] [10]

Recording

Mogwai started writing for the album in February 2020 shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United Kingdom, and due to the resultant lockdown the various band members had to write remotely without playing together; guitarist Stuart Braithwaite commented that "...not being able to leave the settee or go out of the house for more than one hour ... definitely gave us more time to write music. And actually, it was good and gave us the focus to work on." [11] The band were not able to record together until early August 2020, but owing to travel restrictions were unable to proceed with their original plan of recording with Dave Fridmann at his Tarbox Road Studios in New York. [12] The band therefore moved to Vada Studios in Alcester, Warwickshire, with Fridmann producing remotely via Zoom. [13] Braithwaite commented "It's the only time we left Scotland since this whole thing began ... going to England being amazing is not a sentence I thought I'd ever say in my life." [12]

Despite the unusual method of working (Braithwaite: "I wasn't convinced it would work at all. I didn't realise just how involved David could get ... (but) it was just like he was physically in the room with us.") the technology enabled methods of working that would not have been possible otherwise; the string section for "Midnight Flit" was recorded with Atticus Ross in Los Angeles directing an orchestra in Budapest. [12]

Music

The album contains eleven tracks, which consists of mostly instrumental music. Only one track, "Ritchie Sacramento" contains clean vocals, sung by Braithwaite and referencing lost friends including David Berman of Silver Jews and Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit. [9] [12] The songs "Here We, Here We, Here We Go Forever" and "Fuck Off Money" contain vocoder effects by Braithwaite and Barry Burns respectively. [9] [14] "Pat Stains" features saxophone from Colin Stetson, which according to Stereogum "sometimes sounds like needling, off-kilter ghost chatter, and sometimes it sounds like a full orchestra at work". [15]

Typically for the band, the song titles are obtuse, [16] although Braithwaite did share some of the meanings behind them. He said that "Ceiling Granny" was a reference to a scene from The Exorcist III , while "Pat Stains" was a dig at Burns' unsuccessful attempt to remember the name of Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear. [13] "To the Bin My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earth" is named after, and begins with, the phrase spoken in his sleep by Benjamin John Power of the bands Fuck Buttons and Blanck Mass, which was recorded and sent to the band. [12]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 83/100 [17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [18]
Clash 9/10 [19]
Louder Than War 9/10 [20]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [21]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [22]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [23]
PopMatters 8/10 [24]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Uncut 9/10 [25]

As the Love Continues received universal acclaim from music critics. AllMusic described it as "another peak in their long and influential career" [18] whilst Popmatters wrote that the album "testifies that Mogwai are still a truly great band". [24] Record Collector suggested that "Mogwai have resurfaced with their most evolved album in a decade, tethering their formative instincts to forward-thinking ambitions with an instinctive feel for our choppy times", and John Robb, writing for Louder than War , highlighted what he says are "subtle moods, textures and shifts in sound that Mogwai have become the magicians of – a music that creates a film that runs in your head". [20]

Even the more mixed reviews had caveats - the review in NME stated that it "is an album that opens beautifully but falls short at times during its second half. Then again, the whole record works so much better in a live setting – and will continue to do so when Mogwai finally hit the road again." [23] This was a reference to the concert streamed on 13 February, which was also reviewed positively by mainstream publications such as The Guardian [9] and The Spectator ; the latter (in a piece entitled "Epic prog rock without the widdly-woo solos") described the songs as "thrillingly turbulent" and "big and epic". [26]

As the Love Continues was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2021, [3] but lost out to Arlo Parks. [27] On 23 October 2021, the album won the Scottish Album of the Year Award. [28]

Track listing

The album was released on CD and via download with 11 tracks. Deluxe versions are also available, including vinyl editions and a box set, some of which feature a bonus disc (12" vinyl or CD) containing five unreleased demos. [29]

No.TitleLength
1."To the Bin My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earth"5:09
2."Here We, Here We, Here We Go Forever"4:45
3."Dry Fantasy"5:10
4."Ritchie Sacramento"4:12
5."Drive the Nail"7:14
6."Fuck Off Money"5:53
7."Ceiling Granny"3:58
8."Midnight Flit"6:08
9."Pat Stains"6:55
10."Supposedly, We Were Nightmares"4:36
11."It's What I Want to Do, Mum"7:23
Total length:61:23
Japanese bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."The Scottish Dimension"4:20

Bonus disc

No.TitleLength
1."To the Bin My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earth (demo)"5:12
2."Here We, Here We, Here We Go Forever (demo)"5:32
3."Supposedly, We Were Nightmares (demo)"5:04
4."Drive the Nail (demo)"6:41
5."It's What I Want to Do, Mum (demo)"6:43
Total length:29:12

Credits

Charts

Chart performance for As the Love Continues
Chart (2021)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [30] 71
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [31] 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [32] 17
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [33] 3
Irish Albums (OCC) [34] 23
Italian Albums (FIMI) [35] 78
Scottish Albums (OCC) [36] 1
Swedish Vinyl Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [37] 6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [38] 5
UK Albums (OCC) [39] 1
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [40] 9
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [41] 16
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [42] 13

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Information from album liner notes and credits.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Rev</span> American indie rock band

Mercury Rev is an American rock band formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York, with singer/guitarist Jonathan Donahue and guitarist/clarinetist/sound generator operator Sean "Grasshopper" Mackowiak as the only constant members. The band's music has incorporated indie rock, psychedelic rock and American roots, amongst other forms. Mercury Rev have been closely associated with The Flaming Lips, and the two bands have shared historical ties.

David Lawrence Fridmann is an American record producer and musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Delgados</span> Scottish indie rock band

The Delgados are a Scottish indie rock band formed in Glasgow in 1994. The band is composed of Alun Woodward, Emma Pollock, Stewart Henderson, and Paul Savage (drums).

<i>Happy Songs for Happy People</i> 2003 studio album by Mogwai

Happy Songs for Happy People is the fourth studio album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mogwai</span> Scottish post-rock band

Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite, Barry Burns, Dominic Aitchison, and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogwai typically compose lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces that feature dynamic contrast, melodic bass guitar lines, and heavy use of distortion and effects.

<i>Mogwai Young Team</i> 1997 studio album by Mogwai

Mogwai Young Team is the debut studio album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai. Produced by Paul Savage and Andy Miller, the album was released on 21 October 1997 through the Chemikal Underground record label.

<i>Mr Beast</i> (album) 2006 studio album by Mogwai

Mr Beast, released in 2006, is the fifth studio album by Scottish post-rock group Mogwai.

<i>Rock Action</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Mogwai

Rock Action is the third studio album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai. The album was produced by Dave Fridmann of Mercury Rev in New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Braithwaite</span> Scottish musician

Stuart Leslie Braithwaite is a Scottish musician, singer and songwriter. He is the guitarist of post-rock band Mogwai, with whom he has recorded ten studio albums. He is also a member of the British alternative rock supergroups Minor Victories and Silver Moth. He has used the name Plasmatron in the credits of Mogwai's debut album Mogwai Young Team, as a social media handle, and as the name of his signature guitar pedal.

<i>The Hawk Is Howling</i> 2008 studio album by Mogwai

The Hawk Is Howling is the sixth studio album by the Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 22 September 2008, by Wall of Sound, Play It Again Sam and Matador in the UK, Europe, and the US, respectively. It was released in Australia by Spunk Records on 27 September 2008.

<i>Special Moves</i> 2010 live album by Mogwai

Special Moves is a live album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 23 August 2010 through Rock Action Records. Some of the formats in which the album was sold included a live performance documentary entitled Burning, recorded at the same live shows.

<i>Hardcore Will Never Die, but You Will</i> 2011 studio album by Mogwai

Hardcore Will Never Die, but You Will is the seventh studio album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 14 February 2011 by Rock Action Records.

<i>Come On Die Young</i> 1999 studio album by Mogwai

Come On Die Young is the second studio album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai. The album was released on 29 March 1999 by Chemikal Underground.

<i>Rave Tapes</i> 2014 studio album by Mogwai

Rave Tapes is the eighth studio album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 20 January 2014 on Rock Action Records in the UK, and the following day in the USA on Sub Pop. The album was released on vinyl, MC, CD, high resolution digital download and as part of a limited edition box set. In the first week of release the album charted at number 10 in the UK Album Charts and number 2 in the Scottish Album Charts. An EP of unreleased tracks from the Rave Tapes sessions along with remixes of three tracks was released on 1 December 2014 on Rock Action titled Music Industry 3. Fitness Industry 1..

Minor Victories are a British alternative rock supergroup formed in 2015. The band members are vocalist Rachel Goswell (Slowdive), guitarists Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai) and Justin Lockey (Editors), and film-maker James Lockey of Hand Held Cine Club.

<i>Atomic</i> (Mogwai album) 2016 soundtrack album by Mogwai

Atomic is an original soundtrack album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 1 April 2016 on Rock Action Records.

<i>Every Countrys Sun</i> 2017 studio album by Mogwai

Every Country's Sun is the ninth studio album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai. It was released on 1 September 2017 by Rock Action Records in the United Kingdom and Europe, Temporary Residence Limited in the United States, and Spunk Records in Australia.

<i>Kin</i> (Mogwai album) 2018 soundtrack album by Mogwai

Kin is an original soundtrack album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 31 August 2018 on Rock Action Records in the UK and Europe, and Temporary Residence Limited in the United States. Two tracks "Donuts" and "We're Not Done " were released ahead of the album.

<i>ZeroZeroZero</i> (album) 0000 soundtrack album by Mogwai

ZeroZeroZero is an original soundtrack album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 1 May 2020 on Rock Action Records. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was released initially in a download only format via Bandcamp, and for the first week on a pay-what-you-want basis. 50% of the first week's income for the record is to be donated to charities including Help Musicians and various NHS charities.

<i>Lucifer on the Sofa</i> 2022 studio album by Spoon

Lucifer on the Sofa is the tenth studio album by American rock band Spoon, released on February 11, 2022, through Matador Records. Spoon began work on the album in late 2018 after the conclusion of their tour supporting Hot Thoughts (2017), their ninth studio album. Recording sessions began in late 2019 and took place in studios between Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, California. They primarily recorded the album with Mark Rankin, with Justin Raisen and Dave Fridmann, the latter of whom co-produced the band's previous two albums, each producing one song. Recording sessions continued until March 2020 but had to be postponed after the COVID-19 pandemic began severely impacting the United States. After completing the album in 2021, the band released the album's lead single, "The Hardest Cut", in October of that year.

References

  1. ↑ Eede, Christian. "Mogwai Detail New Album, 'As The Love Continues'". The Quietus . Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Kreps, Daniel (29 October 2020). "Mogwai Drop 'Dry Fantasy' From Upcoming LP 'As the Love Continues'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Mercury prize 2021: first-time nominees dominate shortlist". The Guardian. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  4. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (26 February 2021). "Mogwai score first No 1 album after 25 years: 'It's totally surreal'". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  5. ↑ Breihan, Tom (29 October 2020). "Mogwai – "Dry Fantasy"". Stereogum . Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  6. ↑ Keneally, Cerys. "Mogwai pay tribute to late musician friends on new cut "Ritchie Sacramento"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  7. ↑ Murray, Robin (14 February 2021). "Mogwai Share New Song 'Pat Stains'". ClashMusic. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  8. ↑ Jones, Damian (15 February 2021). "Mogwai live in Glasgow: the white noise specialists unleash their latest record". NME. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Rogers, Jude. "Mogwai: As the Love Continues review – extremely loud and incredibly close". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  10. ↑ "Bielaia lisitsa. Chuchela iz kollektsīi N.P. Alina v Cherdyni". Library of Congress. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  11. ↑ Volohov, Dan (25 January 2021). "Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai) – "It's quite important as an artist to put yourself in an uncomfortable position"". XS Noise. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Sweeney, Eamon (18 February 2021). "Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite: 'The Tories haven't got a clue about culture'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  13. 1 2 Reilly, Andy. "Interview: Stuart Braithwaite talks about Mogwai's new album 'As the Love Continues'". Snack Magazine. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  14. 1 2 Harley, Kevin. "As The Love Continues". Record Collector. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  15. ↑ Breihan, Tom (12 February 2021). "Mogwai – "Pat Stains" (Feat. Colin Stetson)". Stereogum. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  16. ↑ Jack, Malcolm (14 December 2016). "Mogwai – 10 of the best". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  17. ↑ "As the Love Continues by Mogwai". Metacritic. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  18. 1 2 Phares, Heather. "As The Love Continues". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  19. ↑ Weaver, David (17 February 2021). "As The Love Continues". Clash. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  20. 1 2 Robb, John (20 February 2021). "Mogwai 'As The Love Continues' album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  21. ↑ "As The Love Continues". Mojo. Emap. March 2021. p. 83.
  22. ↑ Johnson, Steven (16 February 2021). "Mogwai - As The Love Continues". musicOMH. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  23. 1 2 Jones, Damian (17 February 2021). "Mogwai – 'As The Love Continues' review: cinematic post-rock that loses steam". NME. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  24. 1 2 Soulsby, Nick (15 February 2021). "Mogwai's 'As the Love Continues' Is a 25th Anniversary Marked in Style". PopMatters. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  25. ↑ Anderson, Jason (March 2021). "As The Love Continues". Uncut. p. 32.
  26. ↑ Hann, Michael (18 February 2021). "Epic prog rock without the widdly-woo solos: Mogwai at the Tramway reviewed". The Spectator. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  27. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (9 September 2021). "Mercury Prize 2021: Arlo Parks wins for Collapsed in Sunbeams". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  28. ↑ "Mogwai win Scottish album of the year award". BBC News. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  29. ↑ "As the Love Continues". Monorail Records. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  30. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 1 March 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1617. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1 March 2021. p. 6.
  31. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Mogwai – As the Love Continues" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  32. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Mogwai – As the Love Continues" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  33. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Mogwai – As the Love Continues" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  34. ↑ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  35. ↑ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 8 (dal 19.2.2021 al 25.2.2021)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  36. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  37. ↑ "Veckolista Vinyl, vecka 8" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  38. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Mogwai – As the Love Continues". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  39. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  40. ↑ "Mogwai Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  41. ↑ "Mogwai Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  42. ↑ "Mogwai Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.