The Hawk Is Howling

The Hawk Is Howling is the sixth studio album by the Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 22 September 2008, by Wall of Sound, Play It Again Sam and Matador in the UK, Europe, and the US, respectively.[12] It was released in Australia by Spunk Records on 27 September 2008.

The Hawk Is Howling
Studio album by
Mogwai
Released22 September 2008
RecordedChem19 Studios (Hamilton, Scotland)
GenrePost-rock, instrumental rock
Length63:29
Label
ProducerAndy Miller
Mogwai chronology
Mr Beast
(2006)		 The Hawk Is Howling
(2008)		 Special Moves
(2010)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Guardian[3]
NME9/10[4]
Observer Music Monthly[5]
Pitchfork4.5/10[6]
PopMatters[7]
Q[8]
The Skinny[9]
Slant[10]
URB[11]

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

The album peaked at number 35 in the UK Album Charts and 97 on the Billboard 200.

Writing and recording

The album was recorded and produced by Andy Miller at Chem19 Studios in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland and mixed by Gareth Jones at Castle of Doom Studios in Glasgow, Scotland, between September 2007 and March 2008.[13] The album was the first time in ten years that the band had 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 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".[14]

In 2012 it was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association,[15] which indicated sales of at least 75,000 copies throughout Europe.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Mogwai.

No.TitleLength
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
Total length:63:29
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Dracula Family"6:02
12."Stupid Prick Gets Chased by the Police and Loses His Slut Girlfriend"5:07
13."Devil Rides"4:00
Total length:78:38

The limited edition version 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
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. "The Hawk Is Howling by Mogwai". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  2. Phares, Heather. The Hawk Is Howling at AllMusic. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  3. Clark, Betty (18 September 2008). "Electronic review: Mogwai, The Hawk is Howling". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  4. NME, September 2008, page 23
  5. Gilmour, Charlie (14 September 2008). "Rock review: Mogwai, The Hawk is Howling". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  6. Currin, Grayson (23 September 2008). "Mogwai: The Hawk Is Howling". Pitchfork. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  7. Baynes, Chris (24 September 2008). "Mogwai: The Hawk Is Howling". PopMatters. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  8. Q, October 2008, issue 87, page 149
  9. Carle, Darren (4 September 2008). "Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling". The Skinny. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  10. Rybicki, Steven (2 September 2008). "Mogwai: The Hawk Is Howling". Slant. Archived from the original on 12 September 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  11. URB.COM Archived 22 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  12. Burns, Barry. "Nearly Done!". mogwai.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
  13. "Life is good". mogwai.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
    - Braithwaite, Stuart. "Recording Update". mogwai.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
  14. Strong, Rob. "Mogwai @ Tramway, Glasgow, UK - 26 April 2008". brightlight.youngteam.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
  15. "13/12/12: More Independent Artists Take European Gold, Silver and Platinum Awards Than Ever Before | Impala". www.impalamusic.org. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014.
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