At the time of its release,
Mogwai's second album was as polarizing as it was unexpected. Instead of returning to the extreme dynamic shifts of their singles collection
Ten Rapid and their first full-length Young Team, the band explored elongated, implosive territory that ultimately became as vital to their music as their dramatic softs and louds, especially on works like
Mr. Beast and
Rave Tapes. Even the album's ironic title -- borrowed from Glasgow gang jargon -- signaled the sardonic sense of humor that
Mogwai returned to with Rock Action and
Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will. Where their free-form noise improvisations were immediately enthralling on Young Team and
Ten Rapid, here each song blends into the next, creating the impression of one endless track that teeters between deliberately dreamy crawls and random bursts of noise. Still, the sheer sweep of "Chocky" and "Christmas Steps" made them instant standouts, as well as blueprints for the more intricate albums the band made in the 2000s and onward. A transitional album, Come on Die Young revealed
Mogwai as a band unafraid of shaking things up even in the face of success -- an approach that served them well throughout their career. [The 15th anniversary reissue includes two previously unreleased tracks, demos, a previously unreleased version of "Helps Both Ways," remixed and remastered tracks from the band's sessions at Glasgow's CaVa Studio, a poster from the Come on Die Young tour, and more.] ~ Heather Phares