Silver Moth – Black Bay – Album Review
by Killian Laher

Silver Moth is the new project by Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai with Elisabeth Elektra and a host of others.  Opening track Henry is not too far removed from Mogwai, with a downbeat, wintry moody melody for Elektra to sing over, channelling Beth Gibbons at times.  There’s a thrilling moment when the drums kick in halfway through.  A complete about-turn for the uplifting The Eternal, which is the closest we get here to a ‘normal’ song.  Elektra is in fine voice here on this track, a grower which improves with every listen as you begin to notice the flourishes of strings and drums here and there.  It’s back to brooding for the haunting Mother Tongue, where we have hints of the folkier end of goth, it’s the type of thing All About Eve were known for 35 years ago, which is a good thing.

The relatively brief Gaelic Psalms features an eerie voiceover but it’s followed up by a fifteen-minute drone piece Hello Doom, which builds from an almost ambient beginning, adding emotive vocals which lead into crashing drums and rumbling guitars, because sometimes standard issue Mogwai is just not long enough.  And if that’s not enough there’s a touch of John Carpenter about the final track Sedna which drives the point home.

Definitely worth a listen for Mogwai fans. It hangs together well as an album, perfect for creating a moody atmosphere, despite the longer evenings.

Mother Tongue