Although instrumental post-rock outfit Mogwai's latest release, Earth Division, houses a potentially catastrophic blend of instruments - read: bass guitars and harmonicas, among others - the 4-track EP manages to produce something ethereal, moving and even tender out of this unlikely brew.
Like albums from fellow instrumental rockers Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the true success of Earth Division lies in its ability to nurture amorphous streams of scales, arpeggios and ambient harmonies into a singular, cohesive sound. As the first track, "Get to France," opens, piano keys ascend and descend in eerie resolve, reminiscent of minimalist composer Philip Glass' work. As a fully-fledged string orchestra fades in, however, the song is invigorated with a new life that peals far from any semblance of a Glass tribute. Reverberating with each strike of the piano key, the song builds strength as it runs its fanciful, swirling course.
Similarly, the second track, "Hound of Winter," blossoms and grows into fantastic proportions right before the listeners' ears. A lesson in Mogwai's genius, the band somehow manages to make a harmonica sound celestial in the face of a softly plucked guitar. Near ghostly, "Hound of Winter" juxtaposes with the sudden, sonorous jolt of "Drunk and Crazy." Welcomed with feedback from a cloudy speaker, the slowly building bass line of the track coaxes even the most stoic of listeners into an unconscious head bob. Without warning, however, the bubbling bass is cut off to allow for a looping, vehement cello solo. The carve of each bow on the string seems to wring a sense of unearthly passion out of each note, providing a soundtrack to raw emotion.
As the closing track of the EP, "Does This Always Happen?" echoes the gentle simplicity of "Get to France." Nearly glittering, "Does This Always Happen" calls and responds almost perfectly with the title track in its looping, streaming vibrato of violin strings and piano keys. Thus, Earth Division is truly a perfect circle, flowing into and out of itself as its own entity.
Although the EP could be considered meek in comparison to the booming post-rock bravado that was its latest full-length album, 2011's Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, Mogwai's Earth Division stands tribute to a certain tenderness unseen for the most part in contemporary music. The perfect accompaniment to long, starlit drives at night, Earth Division has a distinctive beauty about it which elicits more than a wisp of emotion out of anyone who listens. Show a little heart. Give it a go.
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