Scottish post-rocker band Mogwai has long been a genre mainstay, and it continues its record of consistency with its latest album, “Atomic.” The album was produced as a soundtrack to the BBC’s new Hiroshima documentary, “Atomic: Living in Dread and Promise.”
Mogwai’s sound has evolved to fit the somber, heavy subject matter accordingly. Although their music is instrumental, Mogwai manages to make “Atomic” deeply emotional. The themes of innovation, destruction and, ultimately, hope can easily be heard through the layers and textures of sound Mogwai produces.
Opening track “Ether” is perhaps the strongest individual track on the album. In typical Mogwai fashion, “Ether” begins with a simple motif that expands and is supported through shimmering instrumentation, which builds to a massive conclusion. Although the entire album is rife with satisfying builds and towering moments, the grand crescendo of “Ether” may be the most triumphant climax on “Atomic.” Given the album’s subject matter, however, the positivity of “Ether” quickly dissipates into the energy and driving noise of “SCRAM” and “Bitterness Centrifuge.”
The soundtrack’s oncoming dread reaches a climax in the album’s fifth track, “Pripyat.” With a slow, brooding tempo and ever-building layers of sound, Mogwai clearly conveys the dread and desolation of an abandoned civilization, a reference to the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Although the climax of “Pripyat” is one of the album’s noisiest moments, Mogwai maintains enough control of the chaos to allow for an intense emotional impact.
The latter half of “Atomic” sees a marked tone shift, and the tracks reflect a mood of introspection and somberness. The soft atmosphere of “Are You a Dancer?” sets the tone initially, but the wailing strings throughout serve as a welcome change from Mogwai’s typically guitar-driven rock. This change in texture is definitely ear-catching, and makes “Are You a Dancer?” one of the album’s most notable tracks.
“Fat Man,” the album’s closing track, begins with an ominous rumbling reminiscent of the album’s opening half. This quickly fades away into a gorgeous piano melody highlighted throughout the track. Given Mogwai’s dependence on sound textures, the isolation of the piano in “Fat Man” gives the album’s end a greater emotional impact. The song’s gentle conclusion feels like a somber reminiscence of the cataclysm found throughout the rest of the album.
As a standalone album, Mogwai’s “Atomic” is a strong showing. However, in the context of the film it accompanies, “Atomic” becomes much more impactful. In 10 tracks, Mogwai adequately depicts the wide array of emotions accompanying an event as harrowing as the Hiroshima bombing. This is particularly apparent in its best tracks, such as the uplifting “Ether” and chilling “Fat Man.”
Although Mogwai’s heavily layered and textured approach leads to some of the band’s finest moments, it also occasionally leads to periods without clear direction or musical activity. Fortunately, as a complete project, “Atomic” provides a captivating musical experience.
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