This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Hello … is there anybody out there? You bet there is.
Straight from the dark side of the moon — well, actually Glasgow, but close enough — comes Come On Die Young, the sophomore disc from Mogwai, a quartet of post-modern, post-rock visionaries gaining a reputation as indie rock’s next (relatively) big thing. And no wonder; one listen will convince you these boys are onto something. Silence, subtlety and space are as prominent on Mogwai’s pallet as notes and noise. And these dozen lysergically dreamy instrumentals, interrupted only by the occasional voice or tape-loop vocal, are like clouds, floating along and slowly changing shape over time. And, every once in a while, like clouds, they turn dark and electric, discharging their wrath in a cyclone of energy before becoming comfortably numb once again. Shine on, you crazy diamonds.
