New Mogwai - "The Sun Smells Too Loud"

Matablog just debuted this tasty morsel from post-rock stalwarts Mogwai's upcoming album The Hawk Is Howling. The song is called "The Sun Smells Too Loud" and it, like Sigur Ros' material from this year, strives to push a band's sound into new, but familiar territory. "Smells" seems as straightforward a single as Mogwai have ever written, though its still an instrumental that gradually crescendos into something more grand and epic that the track began as. That said, listening to those guitars (especially the main octave line) and keyboards, it's impossible not to wonder whether or not Mogwai have gone new-wave (or as new-wave as Mogwai can possibly go)? Probably not, but that echo-drenched guitar line points to more straightforward pastures. Time will have to tell as to if this is Mogwai's true new direction. The Hawk is Howling is out on Sept. 23rd. A tour with Fuck Buttons is coming up as well.

(Jonathan Graef)