Mogwai - The Bad Fire in Review

So, the new album by Glaswegian post-rock instrumentalist band Mogwai was released on January 24th on Rock Action Records in the UK and Europe and Temporary Residence Limited in the US, and I can safely say I expect it to be high on the list as one of the greats of 2025 when December rolls around. Their 11th studio album, not including the various live albums, remix albums and soundtracks they've released over the 30+ years of their career, The Bad Fire, is a sonic and emotionally dynamic masterpiece. I do not say those words lightly. My big stupid grin while writing this, if you can imagine that, speaks volumes.

About Mogwai

The band, which formed in Glasgow in 1995, is led by Stuart Braithwaite, songwriter, guitarist, and occasional singer, along with Barry Burns, multi-instrumentalist and occasional singer; Dominic Aitchison, bassist and songwriter; and Martin Bulloch, drummer and percussionist. Much like fellow Glasgow legends Franz Ferdinand, whose sixth album The Human Fear I reviewed here, Mogwai has not tried to do much differently from what they have done on previous releases.

An Idea that may seem strange to many bands and recording artists, as their previous studio offering, As The Love Continues, released in 2021, gave them their first UK album chart number one. Rather than succumbing to pressure to evolve and enter into new musical ventures, Mogwai have doggedly stuck to their same formula. If, with some refinements and a deft sense of control over their sprawling soundscapes, and despite the title, to produce a truly uplifting experience. One that makes you feel better than you did before you started listening.

All the things I look for in a Mogwai album are present and correct on The Bad Fire. There are the ridiculous and hilarious song titles, like Pale Vegan Hip Pain, Fanzine Made of Flesh, What Kind of Mix Is This and the recent single Lion Rumpus. Song names have always been a way for Mogwai to poke a little fun at the post-rock genre. They generally have little bearing on the song and often include inside jokes. Take classics from their back catalogue such as "George Square Thatcher Death Party", "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead", and "You're Lionel Richie" as examples. They have some disdain for that label because they feel it over-analyses everything. While labels are helpful, it's easy to see their point. Over the years, many bands have identified as post-rock and take themselves rather too seriously. Whereas even with the title of this albm, there is a fun reference to a Glaswegian slang term for hell.

Mogwai prefers to let the music do the talking and doesn't particularly like overplaying what goes into an opus like The Bad Fire.

The Actual Review

The music follows similar standards established throughout their career - the quiet-loud, slow-fast, slow-build to apocalyptical soul-reaching soundscapes and only a sparse amount of vocals that are often deep in the mix ala My Bloody Valentine. On The Bad Fire, it all feels refined in the best possible way - like Mogwai being Mogwai at their peak. Many diehard Mogwai fans will disagree with that because in their minds nothing can top the first two albums, Mogwai Young Team and Come On Die Young. The use of synths alongside the guitars is well-balanced, as it always has been. While they still follow the slow burn to a chaotic eruptive climax on many tracks, the 12 to 18-minute songs are gone.

A press release for the album's announcement in October 2024 stated "After the high of putting out As the Love Continues, the following years were personally hard for us. We’ve dealt with a lot of loss and in Barry’s case a serious family illness with one of his daughters. Getting back together to write and record this record felt like a refuge and with John Congleton we feel that we’ve made something special. We often hear from people that our music has helped them get through hard times in their lives and for once I think it applies to us as well."

And do you know what? I hope it helps them because it will already be a go-to for me after two full listens. There is a sophistication to everything, from the slow build and arpeggiated synth-driven opener of God Gets You Back that sees Bulloch dish out a clever clipped backbeat with Burns' woozy vocals, followed perfectly by Hi Chaos, which starts quietly before bursting into life - though with more precision than 90s - early-00s Mogwai would have employed, there is an overarching beauty to it. With all the band has gone through in the last few years, many would expect them, and maybe there would be a justification for them to take out all their pain and hurt and produce a cacophonous wall of pure noise. Their maturity is on show throughout. What Kind of Mix is This? is another playful soundscape of synths, intriguing guitars and a rolling bassline from Aitchison that Mogwai are known fore. Following that track is the drone-poppy Fanzine Made of Flesh, which recalls Moon Safari-era Air, with vocoder vocals and Mogwai at their most tuneful.

After the almost celebratory joy, Pale Vegan Hip Pain is a more sedated and introspective piece with a consistent finger-plucked guitar melody. It showcases Mogwai's incredible ability to connect with listeners without uttering a single word or phrase.

Things remain relatively downbeat with If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some of The Others. A stripped-back first half reliably builds before imploding spectacularly in the second half. It is intense, but a real hair-standing-on-the-back-of-your-hands moment. I smiled like a mad idiot throughout it, which helped lift my spirits during such a poignant track.

18 Volcanoes is a definite highpoint among many and offers one of Braithwaite's most emotionally deep vocals. Even if the only lyrics I could pick out the first time around were:

"All is over, the future unfolding. Open eyes hold still again. Eternity inside my hand."

In many ways, it reminded me of My Bloody Valentine's sublime Sometimes from Loveless, and I felt it in my very core.

Hammer Home is another great example of Mogwai's love of creating interesting and fun music. It is the closest thing in a while to a hint at what the band might sound like if they committed to creating a club track, and has tones of John Carpenter's earlier soundtracks.

Lion Rumpus, which has the most joyful video following a man with lots of dogs, is just an absolute blast. It reminded me of Ceiling Granny from As The Love Continues, which proves that as controlled and restrained as the band may be, they still know how to rock out. There is even a delightfully overblown guitar solo, which is as awkward but perfectly placed to disarm and delight.

Fact Boy closes proceedings euphorically tinged with the sadness that has underpinned the album and indeed their lives, the violin really elevates it. By the end, I wanted to start the journey all over again. Just - exceptional.

Full Tracklisting

1. God Gets You Back
2. Hi Chaos
3. What Kind of Mix is This?
4. Fanzine Made of Flesh
5. Pale Vegan Hip Pain
6. If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some Of The Others
7. 18 Volcanoes
8. Hammer Room
9. Lion Rumpus
10. Fact Boy

Final Verdict

The album is just a masterpiece from start to finish. I am at a loss really to find any fault with it. Following As The Love Continues was always going to be hard, but with The Bad Fire, they have done it. Understated and more considered, yes. Boring or in any way "phoning it in", nae chance. If Mogwai in the early days was all about sonic excesses and creating chaos, Mogwai now is about creating something beautiful to help anchor us, and the band themselves, as the world becomes more and more unstable.

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Thanks for reading!