The Last Romance

On their sixth album, the Scottish duo's self-deprecating gloom here begins to lift, allowing rays of romantic comfort and satisfaction to flicker in the distance.

Over 10 years, Mogwai and Arab Strap have painted themselves into sonic corners, and they both seem to have chosen the decade mark to tiptoe toward previously uncharted floor space. Neither Mr. Beast nor The Last Romance mark massive changes for the culty Scottish bands, but even small shifts can seem remarkable after…

The presence of what sounds like energy, streaked across most of The Last Romance, has often been mistaken for happiness, or at least a resigned sense of contentment.

Has it really been 10 years? Christ, for Arab Strap, anything more than the one pissed-up night probably constitutes a long-term relationship, so 10 years...