The Hawk Is Howling

The Hawk Is Howling
Studio album by Mogwai
Released	22 September 2008
Recorded	Chem19 Studios (Hamilton, Scotland)
Genre	Post-rock, instrumental rock
Length	63:29
Label	Wall of Sound Play It Again Sam Matador
Producer	Andy Miller
Mogwai chronology
Mr Beast (2006) The Hawk Is Howling (2008) Special Moves (2010)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	76/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Guardian	[3]
NME	9/10[4]
Observer Music Monthly	[5]
Pitchfork	4.5/10[6]
PopMatters	[7]
Q	[8]
The Skinny	[9]
Slant	[10]
URB	[11]

The Hawk Is Howling is the sixth studio album by the Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 22 September 2008, by Wall of Sound, Play It Again Sam and Matador in the UK, Europe, and the US, respectively.^[12] It was released in Australia by Spunk Records on 27 September 2008.

It is their first album of exclusively instrumental songs, since their earlier albums have all had vocals (singing or spoken word) on some tracks.

The album peaked at number 35 in the UK Album Charts^{[citation needed]} and 97 on the Billboard 200.^{[citation needed]}

Writing and recording

The album was recorded and produced by Andy Miller at Chem19 Studios in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland and mixed by Gareth Jones at Castle of Doom Studios in Glasgow, Scotland, between September 2007 and March 2008.^[13] The album was the first time in ten years that the band had worked with Andy Miller, and at Chem19 Studios, since recording the song "Small Children in the Background" for the No Education = No Future (Fuck the Curfew) EP in May 1998.

Several new compositions were debuted at a show for the Triptych Festival at Tramway in Glasgow in April 2008 — "The Precipice", "I Love You, I'm Going to Blow Up Your School", "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead", "Thank You Space Expert", "Batcat" and "Scotland's Shame".^[14]

In 2012 it was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association,^[15] which indicated sales of at least 75,000 copies throughout Europe.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Mogwai.

The limited edition version contains the documentation "Adelia, I Want To Love: A Film About Mogwai by Vincent Moon and Teresa Eggers", the Dominic Hailstone-directed "Batcat" video and the video "Batcat Animation" created by Fernando Alberto Mena Rojas.

Personnel

Mogwai

• Dominic Aitchison – bass guitar
• Stuart Braithwaite – guitar
• Martin Bulloch – drums
• Barry Burns – guitar, keyboard
• John Cummings – guitar

Additional personnel

• James Aparicio – mixing assistance
• Nadia Bradley – photography and design
• Tony Doogan – recording of "The Sun Smells Too Loud"
• Gareth Jones – mixing
• Andy Miller – producer
• Andi Whitelock – recording of bowed mandolin on "Scotland's Shame"

References