Album Review: Mogwai - KIN: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Having proved themselves dab hands at docos and TV soundtracks, it was only a matter of time before Mogwai scored their first feature film.

Whilst this reviewer hasn't been provided with an advance copy of the movie, it ought to glide by quite gracefully if the soundtrack is anything to go by. Indeed, it's easy to imagine a montage of hauntingly tragic slo-mo when listening to the promo cut Donuts.

Eli's Theme kicks off the record with some unobtrusive electronics and some of those glacial, heavy on the foot pedals piano lines that Jon Hopkins is rather fond of using. It's a formula that's repeated often through KIN, and as such, the album has less variety than most of the band's output. The sole vocal track, We're Not Done, provides the biggest emotional breakthrough. Band leader Stuart Braithwaite has said that KIN features some of his favourite ever music by Mogwai and this reviewer will be darned if he's not at least in part referring to the towering wave of unexpected optimism that's on offer here. It's a soaring finale and an embodiment of the spirit that has driven the band to create some of their finest work two decades on.