User ratings in Music are temporarily disabled. More info
- Summary: Don't let the title fool you; the Glaswegian instrumental post-rockers are just as dour as ever on this fourth studio LP.
- Record Label: Matador
- Genre(s): Indie, Rock
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
-
Positive: 18 out of 19
-
Mixed: 1 out of 19
-
Negative: 0 out of 19
-
This is Mogwai distilled to their essence, and the result is an album of huge power, emotional depth and feeling, with vocals submerged under a claustrophobic blanket of effects and guitars battling with viola, cello, violin and piano. It's just as Eno as it is S***t, and all the greater for that.
-
In the end, Happy Songs might sound like Mogwai's earlier work or be unapproachable to the listener who spends his time chilling in Sam Goody, but that doesn't mean it's not one of the most amazing albums of the year.
-
Happy Songs is epic and subtle, technically savvy and emotionally charged and visceral all at once -- in short, it's a summary of everything that is great about Mogwai's music.
-
With Happy Songs for Happy People, Mogwai gets to have it both ways -- it's ironic and sincere, concise and expansive, challenging and accessible, and it's one of the band's best albums, no two ways about it.
-
What really makes this record engaging is that the simmering tension often chooses not to explode, yet somehow it works.
-
Q MagazineThey've crucially learned that musical light and shade need not only be flaring explosions, but melodic sunrises too. [Jul 2003, p.109]
-
Happy Songs for Happy People offers many of the thrills of Rock Action, but without the diversity and succinctness that made that album shine.
Score distribution:
-
Positive: 11 out of 11
-
Mixed: 0 out of 11
-
Negative: 0 out of 11
-
PScottJul 19, 2006
-
-
VicenteTJun 27, 2003Sem dúvida, um dos melhores álbuns do ano. Mogwai Rules!!!!!
-
-
SeamusSApr 20, 2006Kay kay kay Get past the utter stupidity (or inside joked humor) of the song titles, and you have a masterpeice.
-
-
BJun 19, 2003aetheral, soaring, and majestic. there best effort yet.
-
-
RyancMar 4, 2005Beautiful. I adore this, they are on a par with Tortoise
-
-
Jun 20, 2021
-
-
DomS.Aug 11, 2003
-