Mogwai, Young Team (Jetset) 9+
Ganger, Fore (Domino) 9
These two bands must know each other. They're both from Glasgow, Scotland and they both play complex, meandering, long-winded instrumental rock, not unlike early Tortoise. That doesn't sound like a complement, does it? Well I like it! I could describe each song in detail, but it really doesn't matter that much. Either you like what the British press love to call "post-rock" or you hate it. Mogwai have the edge in that their album adheres to a cohesive vision. While the songs and sounds are varied, they establish Mogwai's unique identity in the indie-rock pantheon. By the time I finished the last cut, the epic "Mogwai Fears Satan," I felt I'd been taken to a new musical space that's worth spending some quality time in. Ganger's album, while enjoyable, compiles four previously issued EPs that are decidedly more earth (and rock) bound. It shows great promise for their first full length. Meander on, Scots.
