Album Review: KIN [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] by Mogwai

Since the mid-2000s, Mogwai have provided the musical accompaniment for one television series, Les Revenants, and a clutch of documentaries. Among those docs, their soundtracks for Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (2006) and Atomic (2016) have felt the closest in character to the band's regular work, and they even toured in support of the latter. KIN comes even closer to the composition of a Mogwai studio album, to the point where the line between the two is starting to blur.

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Mogwai are the rare band with a body of soundtrack work that's just as vital as their own albums. With Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, Les Revenants, and Atomic, they redefined their music while emphasizing the gifts for mood-making that made them soundtrack-worthy in the first place. Mogwai reach another milestone with KIN: the band's first music for a feature film -- a sci-fi thriller about a pair of brothers who find a mysterious weapon -- delivers a streamlined version of their sound that's ready for its close-up.

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Very dimly, I can recall a time when there was serious debate over the relative merits of new Mogwai albums: it took the wider world a good decade at least to accept that that they were never going to remake Young Team. Somewhere along the line, though, the prolific Glaswegians ascended to elder statesperson status, and the idea of them coming up with a duffer seems outright outlandish. And that goes for their soundtrack work too.

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Mogwai create atmospheres and mood incredibly well. This has made their transition from post rock soundscapes to scoring films and TV almost seamless. Imagine watching Zidane and Les Revenants without 'gwai being involved. It wouldn't have had the same impact. 'KIN' is their first feature film ….

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