MOGWAI - ZeroZeroZero (OST)

It was clear from the outset, with their landmark debut "Young Team" (1997), that Mogwai's music was destined to grow ever closer to the world of film and TV, as shown by the long string of soundtracks ranging from the French TV series "Les Revenants" (2013), to the documentary "Atomic" (2016), through to the film "Kin" (2018).

The new series based on Roberto Saviano's novel "ZeroZeroZero", directed by Stefano Sollima, is the subject of the Scottish band's latest soundtrack. Twenty-one short tracks - none over four minutes - accompany images of drug stories, cocaine trafficking and violence, delivered with a Mogwai sound thoroughly honed over the last three decades. Melody and harmony meld together with synths, guitars and basslines weaving one after another in a style that has by now become a cliché, albeit one that has become the Scottish band's trademark.

The album carries the typical duplicity found in part of the post-rock standard-bearers' discography, being perfect and predictable at the same time. The tracks move within already well-established templates, in a continuous self-quoting that can feel repetitive, but which also suits the task at hand: accompanying the images of a TV series. What's certainly missing is a moment that leaves you stunned or even breathless, despite the overall good quality. In short, there's plenty of craft and precision, but it lacks the flight of fancy or stroke of genius that would have taken it up a notch, and which can be found in other of their soundtracks (for instance, in "Ether" from "Atomic").

Among the standout tracks are the frenetic techno pulses of "I'm Not Going When I Don't Get Back", perhaps the most successful and engaging moment, the slow piano of "Visit Me" with the other instruments gradually layering in one after another, the anguished synths of "Chicken Guns" and the distortions of "Lesser Glasgow".

Mogwai put the digital version of the CD up for sale on a pay-what-you-want basis, donating half the proceeds to the charities Help Musicians and the NHS, which support entertainment industry workers hit by the pandemic.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

09/07/2020