By – Jason Hamric

I don’t think there’s an easy way to explain how The Bad Fire makes you feel. It’s not just music—it’s a mood, a place you go when you don’t know where else to be. There’s something about Mogwai’s sound that feels old and new at the same time, like it’s been here forever, waiting for you to find it.

The album kicks off with “God Gets You Back,” and right away, it’s like stepping into another world. The song is so alive, but not in a loud, overwhelming way. It’s like walking home at dusk when the sky is this deep purple, and everything feels both heavy and peaceful. The vocoder effects give it this dreamy, otherworldly vibe, but underneath, it’s all heart.

Then there’s “Hi Chaos.” This one sneaks up on you. It starts slow, like it’s unsure of itself, but then it builds into something huge, like a wave crashing out of nowhere. Listening to it is like being stuck in your own head, overthinking everything, and then suddenly having it all make sense. You don’t even notice the moment it clicks—it just does.

My favorite track, though, has to be “Pale Vegan Hip Pain.” I don’t know what it is about this one, but it feels like that perfect mix of sad and hopeful. It’s like when you’re flipping through old photos and you find one that makes you smile, even though it kind of hurts. It’s melancholy, but it’s not trying to drag you down—it’s showing you the beauty in feeling things deeply.

By the time “Fact Boy” rolls around, you’re in a different headspace. It’s like the whole album has been leading you here—to this quiet, dreamlike place where nothing else matters. The violin is haunting in the best way, like it’s telling a story you’ll never fully understand but can still feel.

The Bad Fire feels like Mogwai knows something about life that the rest of us are still trying to figure out. It’s heavy, but it doesn’t weigh you down—it reminds you that even the hard stuff can be beautiful. It’s the kind of album that makes you stop, think, and maybe even grow up a little.