AMG Review of Mogwai [EP+2]

Bryan Carroll
All Music Guide

Released a few months after their nearly universally underappreciated sophomore effort, Come On Die Young, Mogwai's EP+2 is essentially a continuance of that record's reflective tone. Calm but no less effective, the four new songs on this EP are steady and hypnotic; a brass section gently augments the pensive "Burn Girl Prom Queen," while the standout "Christmas Song" is beautifully anchored by strings and cello. The only new song that hints at Mogwai's vociferous past is "Rage: Man," a melodic burst of the band's recognizable guitars that still manages to incorporate a gently played piano. The EP is rounded out by two dynamic songs from 1998's No Education = No Future (Fuck the Curfew) EP.