Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound (2024) - 7/10

Structured around the recording and release of their tenth album, this doc delves into the origins of the Scottish post rock titans, Mogwai. Does that sound too grand? Not to me. From simple humble beginnings that are still evident today, they’ve grown into a band that people and fellow musicians idolise. Largely instrumental, they emerged from a scene like no other band at that time and live archive footage shows here how they captured audiences from the get go. Although the recording of their As The Love Continues record in lockdown features heavily. It’s live where Mogwai forged their reputation. Yes for being loud, but for creating an all encompassing mood. A mood that works well with the wealth of archive material here. It’s a mix wide angle studio shots mixed with fuzzy 90s DV footage when everyone had more hair. The constant that flows throughout is emotion as we’re pulled through voices from peers, producers, engineers, all of whom are friends. Through different studios over the years it’s clear they’ve built a family around them. It’s not straight up first this happened, then so and so met so and so sort of stuff, but there are nuggets of stories that help flesh out their evolution from ‘My Father My King’ being based on Avinu Malkeinu, to Ian Rankin explaining the duality of Mogwai stemming from what it is to be Scottish. They’re a band that take pride in where they’re from and give back more than they take. If The Stars Had a Sound, is about not only great music from a great band, but a celebration of what music and particularly live music can be. Special.

7/10