Arriving a quarter-century after the release of Mogwais debut single, As the Love Continues is an album that, from its title to the warmth and immediacy of its songs, wears its heart on its sleeve. Usually, the venerable Scottish band play a cat-and-mouse game with tension and release in their music; while this restraint often makes the payoffs all the more rewarding, its a true pleasure to hear them fill these songs with so much melody and energy. Sometimes, it feels like theyre spoiling their listeners with just how accessible the album is. The opening track, To the Bin, My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earth, wastes no time shifting from its graceful piano and guitar beginnings into crescendoes that are so triumphant and satisfying that most bands would save them for last. On each track that follows, Mogwai reinvent the sounds theyve pioneered over the years. When they return to the electronics that dominated Rave Tapes, its not with that albums austerity. Instead, Fuck Off Moneys synth meditations reach cosmic proportions, and Here We, Here We, Here We Go Forever piles an albums worth of melodies and moods into just under five minutes. And while Mogwai are no strangers to combining rock and synths, theyve rarely sounded as vivid as they do on Supposedly, We Were Nightmares mix of fuzzed-out and neon-bright tones. Here and on As the Love Continues other rocking moments, theres a sense of fun that feels new. Ceiling Granny is a pedal-stomping good time full of tumbling riffs that hark back to the mid-90s heyday of Smashing Pumpkins and Dinosaur Jr.; the epic Drive the Nail is a prime example of the bands famously deadpan humor in both its title and execution; and Ritchie Sacramento is a rare foray into indie rock with vocals that hits the heights of Music Industry 3. Fitness Industry 1.s Teenage Exorcists. Mogwai dont skimp on As the Love Continues beauty, either. Midnight Flit, a collaboration with Atticus Ross that weds frisson-inducing strings with ecstatic guitars, just might be their most romantic track ever. The handful of more typically reserved songs on the album work well as breathers between its outpourings. Built around one patiently unfolding motif, Dry Fantasy is classic Mogwai, as is Pat Stains, a circular, chiming, Colin Stetson-assisted track that sounds like it couldve appeared on Young Team. It may have taken Mogwai 25 years to open up like this, but it was well worth the wait: As the Love Continues is another peak in their long and influential career. ~ Heather Phares

Rovi