As the Love Continues

Arriving a quarter-century after the release of Mogwai's 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, it's a true pleasure to hear them fill these songs with so much melody and energy. Sometimes, it feels like they're 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 they've pioneered over the years. When they return to the electronics that dominated Rave Tapes, it's not with that album's austerity. Instead, "Fuck Off Mon