Interesting story.
What I first heard of Mogwai's 'Young Team' in 1998, didn't impress me all that much. I went back to it a few years later (after getting into Mogwai proper) and loved it, but at the time, it just didn't grab me for some reason. There was a lot of hype about Mogwai then, but I just didn't get it.
In spite of that, I ended up giving the follow up album (this one) a try and was instantly hooked. One of the things I love about it the most is Dave Fridmann's production. He has a habit of sometimes overcooking bands he's not affiliated with himself (i.e. bands that aren't Mercury Rev or Flaming Lips), but his production work on CODY was spot on.
Mogwai's appeal for me is their ability to convey a range of emotions without lyrics. In fact lyrics would detract from their music, and the few times they appear, it seems odd; almost forced. As with a lot of music I end up liking, CODY is darkly atmospheric, and as soon as I hear the opener 'Punk Rock', I immediately find myself in that place where only Mogwai's music transports me.
Shortly after CODY was released, I saw Mogwai at Bristol University with a friend. It was a noisy, calamitous affair (in a good way), but the venue was so small it seemed to contain them sonically. Fortunately, when I saw them again almost 10 years later at Field Day, the space and the open air certainly did them a lot more justice.
Another band whose music I've almost obsessively collected, and the music alone speaks far more than mere lyrics ever could.
Especially this track...
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