Mogwai
A Wrenched Virile Lore
(Sub Pop Records)

Remix albums are a curious notion. Lately it seems like every pop artist is re-releasing records with a few reworked tracks in order to cash in, but every once in a while, an album can be completely reinterpreted and stand on its own as a worthy record. My faith has been renewed by A Wrenched Virile Lore, the remixed version of Scottish post-rockers Mogwai’s Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will.

The track that sounds truest to the original Mogwai sound is “San Pedro” as revisited by post-punk band The Soft Moon, making it one of the standout tracks on this album. The other tracks tend to lean more toward the electronic side of things, making it easy to zone out and experience the ambiance of the record. The EVP remix of “White Noise” by Cylob is oddly beautiful with its heavily distorted vocals, and RM Hubbert’s acoustic, whispered re-imagining of “Mexican Grand Prix” is a surprisingly delicate, poignant moment that is without a doubt my favorite here.

At times, A Wrenched Virile Lore can flow together a bit too smoothly, but it’s a minor fault. Unrelated artists working over different songs by the same band and creating a cohesive album is still something to be admired.