Can rock music be considered art? Generally it's only music released long ago that gets considered as such: Dylan, the Beatles, the Velvet Underground; even punk has had its intellectual adherents. Yet the Glasgow five-piece Mogwai has more in common with the abstract expressionists than with Kaiser Chiefs.
The loneliness of innovation drove Jackson Pollock to an early death, but Mogwai has outlived expectations, ploughing its own furrow of stunning guitar music for more than a decade. In the process, the band has garnered substantial critical acclaim and commercial success, despite lacking the "personality hook" that comes from having a photogenic lead singer - frequently, Mogwai has no vocalist at all.
It rarely does things the easy way. The group chose to release "My Father My King", a 20-minute rock version of a Jewish hymn, as a "single" in 2001. But the song was excluded from contending for a position in the charts because it was 21 seconds longer than the maximum limit (one suspects this was a deliberate ploy). It's available, at the fantastic price of 99p, from www.playloudershop.com.
Mogwai's newly released album, Mr Beast, is available in the shops and on iTunes. The single "Friend of the Night" is a great introduction to the group: it rattles crisply from gentle strumming to intense crescendo with typical flair and intensity. If this has whetted your appetite, or if you want to "try before you buy", the free MP3 of a live version of "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong" is an essential port of call - you can get it from www.mogwai.co.uk/ audio.html.
On this track, the band toys with recurring melodies and builds walls of sound with the confidence of a classical great. If rock music truly is art, Mogwai is Pollock creating Blue Poles, while everyone else producing music today is sharing a packet of felt tips.
Post this article to
We want to encourage people to comment on our content and to exchange views with other readers and hope this will be done on a courteous basis. However, if you encounter posts which are offensive please let us know by emailing comments@newstatesman.co.uk and we will take swift action where necessary.
