The Hawk Is Howling

The Hawk Is Howling
Studio album by Mogwai
Released	22 September 2008
Recorded	Chem19 Studios Hamilton, Scotland
Genre	Post-rock
Length	63:29
Label	Wall of Sound
Producer	Andy Miller
Mogwai chronology
Mr Beast (2006) The Hawk Is Howling (2008) Special Moves (2010)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
NME	(9/10)[2]
Observer Music Monthly	[3]
Pitchfork Media	(4.5/10)[4]
PopMatters	[5]
Q	[6]
The Skinny	[7]
Slant Magazine	[8]
URB	[9]

The Hawk Is Howling is the sixth studio album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 22 September 2008 through Wall of Sound, Play It Again Sam, and Matador in the UK, Europe, and the USA, respectively.^[10] It was released in Australia through Spunk Records on 27 September 2008.

It is their first album to feature exclusively instrumental songs, since their earlier albums all have had vocals (singing or spoken word) on some tracks.

The album peaked at number 35 in the UK Album Charts^{[citation needed]} and 97 on the Billboard 200.^{[citation needed]}

Writing and recording

The album was recorded and produced by Andy Miller at Chem19 Studios in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland and mixed by Garth Jones at Castle of Doom Studios in Glasgow, Scotland between September 2007—March 2008.^[11][12] The album marks the first time in ten years that the band worked with Andy Miller, and at Chem19 Studios, since recording the song "Small Children in the Background" for the No Education = No Future (Fuck the Curfew) EP in May 1998.

Several new compositions were debuted at a show for the Triptych Festival at Tramway in Glasgow, Scotland in April 2008—"The Precipice", "I Love You, I'm Going to Blow Up Your School", "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead", "Thank You Space Expert", "Batcat" and "Scotland's Shame".^[13]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Mogwai.

1. "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead" – 6:46
2. "Batcat" – 5:23
3. "Danphe and the Brain" – 5:18
4. "Local Authority" – 4:15
5. "The Sun Smells Too Loud" – 6:58
6. "Kings Meadow" – 4:42
7. "I Love You, I'm Going to Blow Up Your School" – 7:33
8. "Scotland's Shame" – 8:00
9. "Thank You Space Expert" – 7:55
10. "The Precipice" – 6:42
11. "Dracula Family" (Japanese Bonus Track) - 6:03
12. "Stupid Prick Gets Chased by the Police and Loses His Slut Girlfriend" (Japanese Bonus Track) - 5:09
13. "Devil Rides" (feat. Roky Erickson of 13th Floor Elevators) (Japanese Bonus Track) - 4:00

The Limited Edition contains the documentation "Adelia, I Want To Love: A Film About Mogwai by Vincent Moon and Teresa Eggers," the Dominic Hailstone-directed "Batcat" video, and the video "Batcat Animation" created by Fernando Alberto Mena Rojas.

Personnel

Mogwai

• Dominic Aitchison – bass guitar
• Stuart Braithwaite – guitar
• Martin Bulloch – drums
• Barry Burns – guitar, keyboard
• John Cummings – guitar

Additional personnel

• James Aparicio – mixing assistance
• Nadia Bradley – photography and design
• Tony Doogan – recording of "The Sun Smells Too Loud"
• Gareth Jones – mixing
• Andy Miller – producer
• Andi Whitelock – recording of bowed mandolin on "Scotland's Shame"

References

1. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1416459/review
2. ^ NME: 23. September 2008. 
3. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/sep/14/popandrock15
4. ^ http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/145775-mogwai-the-hawk-is-howling
5. ^ http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/63566/mogwai-the-hawk-is-howling/
6. ^ Q (287): 149. October 2008. 
7. ^ http://www.theskinny.co.uk/article/43647-mogwai-the-hawk-is-howling
8. ^ http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1493
9. ^ http://www.urb.com/reviews/cd/feature.php?ReviewId=762
10. ^ Burns, Barry. "Nearly Done!". www.mogwai.co.uk. http://www.mogwai.co.uk/News/News_2008/Nearly_Done!/. Retrieved 2008-05-04. 
11. ^ "Life is good". www.mogwai.co.uk. http://www.mogwai.co.uk/News/News_2008/Life_is_good/. Retrieved 2008-05-04. 
12. ^ Braithwaite, Stuart. "Recording Update". www.mogwai.co.uk. http://www.mogwai.co.uk/News/News_2008/Recording_Update/. Retrieved 2008-05-04. 
13. ^ Strong, Rob. "Mogwai @ Tramway, Glasgow, UK - 26/04/08". brightlight.youngteam.co.uk. http://brightlight.youngteam.co.uk/eng/gig260408.php. Retrieved 2008-05-04.