Richard BodinEven though the band is quite discreet in the media, Mogwai has been around for 30 years. Over the years, they have released ten albums, continually evolving their music. Their last album, As The Love Continues, produced under COVID-19 restrictions, surprisingly hit #1 on the charts. To honor three decades of brilliant music, Mogwai is now releasing their eleventh album: The Bad Fire. In Glasgow, where the band originates, ‘The Bad Fire’ is a colloquialism for ‘Hell’—quite a contrast from their preceding album.
A Journey Through Hardship
And they have indeed experienced ‘the bad fire’… The band faced significant trauma while working on this new album. Barry Burns nearly lost his young daughter, diagnosed with aplastic anemia—a rare condition in which the bone marrow fails to produce enough blood cells. Thankfully, she pulled through after a transplant and chemotherapy, supported unconditionally by her family and close friends. But the hardships didn’t end there: the band also lost their live agent and long-time collaborator, Mick Griffiths; bassist Dominic Aitchison lost his father; and Stuart Braithwaite’s dog developed cancer and had to have a leg amputated just two weeks before recording sessions began.
A Sound That Transcends Darkness
They have been through hell. And yet, if you are expecting a somber, dark album, you would be mistaken. While the album carries moments of melancholy, it is also uplifting at times. I could try to describe each track and what it meant to me as I listened, but my interpretation might not resonate with every listener. Mogwai has once again done what they do best: creating abstract soundscapes, sometimes delightfully shoegazy, that reflect each listener’s state of mind and emotions. One can lose themselves in the music, letting their feelings and imagination guide them—but never into darkness or fear. The band has risen above the adversity thrown their way, and with the help of John Congleton—who has worked with Sigur Rós, Midlake, and Explosions in the Sky, among many others—they have crafted something beautiful out of pain.
Quirky Track Titles That Intrigue
As always, the band has chosen quirky titles for their tracks, often unrelated to the mood of the music. Listeners will appreciate titles like If You Don’t Like This World, You Should See Some of the Others and Pale Vegan Hip. Given Barry Burns’ daughter’s ordeal, one might assume God Gets You Back carries personal significance, yet Burns assures that no intentional meaning was attached to the title.
The Stunning Artwork of The Bad Fire
The Bad Fire is a stunning album—right down to its artwork, designed by Dave Thomas, who has created many of the band’s covers. When Thomas delivered the design, the band had just decided on the album title. Neither the band nor the artist knew of each other’s choices, yet the connection was seamless. On the vinyl edition, the artwork finds a special place, etched onto the fourth side, which is entirely dedicated to it.
A Testament to Resilience and Artistry
Mogwai has once again demonstrated their ability to transform hardship into transcendent music. The Bad Fire is not just a testament to their resilience but a celebration of their artistry.
