I can’t think of another band that can create powerful emotions without words by using volume and texture alongside melody. And there is plenty of melody within the maelstrom of noise.
Lion Rumpus is taken from next year’s new album The Bad Fire and it’s built on the usual slow-build formula upon which they have built their name – an instrumental starting quietly and gently reaching a crescendo – including something dangerously approaching a guitar solo.
The song would represent a welcome return for Mogwai even without the delightfully doggie-centric home-made video on the streets of New York – a change from the underlying violence that has pervaded several of their videos in the past.
Perhaps they should change their name to Dogwai.
There’s also a fun finale when they try to explain who they are to passing New Yorkers who are oblivious to being in the presence of a famous (ish) band shooting a pop video.
Fans reckon it harks back to their magnificently titled 2011 album Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will and their first excursion into upbeat moods on 2003’s Happy Songs For Happy People. And is there a hint of The Cranberries’ Zombie in the chords?
Anyway, I’m not going to argue with them. I’m just going to play it again.