Mogwai.

If Godspeed You Black Emperor and Mr. Bungle woke up next to each other after a night of hard drinking, nine months later their beautiful love-child would be named Mogwai. I must admit to being late to the party with these guys. Though they've been around for over ten years, their new album, Mr. Beast, is the first album I've heard of theirs. Listening to this disc fills me with the need to acquire their entire back catalog.

Tracks filled with precise layers of roaring fuzz guitar, punctuated by slow, atmospheric songs with dreamscape lyrics prove that these guys know how to build a climax, both within the structure of a song, and within the context of the album itself. About half of the tracks are instrumental, but when the lyrics are there, they're potent:

What happened after the storm?/Was everyone ok?/I tried to call again/I think they've gone away

The lead sings with a voice of shaky, preternatural calm, invoking feelings that people must feel when they're not sure if a loved one has survived a major disaster.

This album is a must-buy.