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.[12] It was released in Australia by Spunk Records on 27 September 2008.
| The Hawk Is Howling | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 22 September 2008 | |||
| Recorded | Chem19 Studios (Hamilton, Scotland) | |||
| Genre | Post-rock, instrumental rock | |||
| Length | 63:29 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Andy Miller | |||
| Mogwai chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 76/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Guardian | [3] |
| NME | 9/10[4] |
| Observer Music Monthly | [5] |
| Pitchfork | 4.5/10[6] |
| PopMatters |   [7] |
| Q | [8] |
| The Skinny | [9] |
| Slant | [10] |
| URB |  [11] |
It is their first album of exclusively instrumental songs, since their earlier albums have all had vocals (singing or spoken word) on some tracks.
The album peaked at number 35 in the UK Album Charts[citation needed] and 97 on the Billboard 200.[citation needed]
Writing and recording
editThe album was recorded and produced by Andy Miller at Chem19 Studios in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland and mixed by Gareth Jones at Castle of Doom Studios in Glasgow, Scotland, between September 2007 and March 2008.[13] The album was the first time in ten years that the band had worked with Andy Miller, and at Chem19 Studios, since recording the song "Small Children in the Background" for the No Education = No Future (Fuck the Curfew) EP in May 1998.
Several new compositions were debuted at a show for the Triptych Festival at Tramway in Glasgow in April 2008 — "The Precipice", "I Love You, I'm Going to Blow Up Your School", "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead", "Thank You Space Expert", "Batcat" and "Scotland's Shame".[14]
In 2012 it was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association,[15] which indicated sales of at least 75,000 copies throughout Europe.
Track listing
editAll tracks composed by Mogwai.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead" | 6:46 |
| 2. | "Batcat" | 5:23 |
| 3. | "Danphe and the Brain" | 5:18 |
| 4. | "Local Authority" | 4:15 |
| 5. | "The Sun Smells Too Loud" | 6:58 |
| 6. | "Kings Meadow" | 4:42 |
| 7. | "I Love You, I'm Going to Blow Up Your School" | 7:33 |
| 8. | "Scotland's Shame" | 8:00 |
| 9. | "Thank You Space Expert" | 7:55 |
| 10. | "The Precipice" | 6:42 |
| Total length: | 63:29 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Dracula Family" | 6:02 |
| 12. | "Stupid Prick Gets Chased by the Police and Loses His Slut Girlfriend" | 5:07 |
| 13. | "Devil Rides" | 4:00 |
| Total length: | 78:38 | |
The limited edition version contains the documentary Adelia, I Want To Love: A Film About Mogwai by Vincent Moon and Teresa Eggers, the Dominic Hailstone-directed "Batcat" video and the video "Batcat Animation" created by Fernando Alberto Mena Rojas.
Personnel
edit- Mogwai
- Dominic Aitchison – bass guitar
- Stuart Braithwaite – guitar
- Martin Bulloch – drums
- Barry Burns – guitar, keyboard
- John Cummings – guitar
- Additional personnel
- James Aparicio – mixing assistance
- Nadia Bradley – photography and design
- Tony Doogan – recording of "The Sun Smells Too Loud"
- Gareth Jones – mixing
- Andy Miller – producer
- Andi Whitelock – recording of bowed mandolin on "Scotland's Shame"
References
edit- ^ "The Hawk Is Howling by Mogwai". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- ^ Phares, Heather. The Hawk Is Howling at AllMusic. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
- ^ Clark, Betty (18 September 2008). "Electronic review: Mogwai, The Hawk is Howling". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ NME, September 2008, page 23
- ^ Gilmour, Charlie (14 September 2008). "Rock review: Mogwai, The Hawk is Howling". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ Currin, Grayson (23 September 2008). "Mogwai: The Hawk Is Howling". Pitchfork. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ Baynes, Chris (24 September 2008). "Mogwai: The Hawk Is Howling". PopMatters. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ Q, October 2008, issue 87, page 149
- ^ Carle, Darren (4 September 2008). "Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling". The Skinny. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ Rybicki, Steven (2 September 2008). "Mogwai: The Hawk Is Howling". Slant. Archived from the original on 12 September 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ URB.COM Archived 22 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Burns, Barry. "Nearly Done!". mogwai.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
- ^ "Life is good". mogwai.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
- Braithwaite, Stuart. "Recording Update". mogwai.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2008. - ^ Strong, Rob. "Mogwai @ Tramway, Glasgow, UK - 26 April 2008". brightlight.youngteam.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
- ^ "13/12/12: More Independent Artists Take European Gold, Silver and Platinum Awards Than Ever Before | Impala". www.impalamusic.org. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014.