Being a first timer to Mogwai's music, I was not quite sure what to expect. Their latest offering "Rock Action" with its red CD cover evoked loud, hard rock music which is really not my kind of music. So with trepidation I put the headphones on at the listening booth in Tower Records, Piccadilly to sample the CD.

Well, "Rock Action" took me by surprise, I was totally mesmerised by it. Immediately, I took a copy off the shelf and stared at the red CD cover and stood listening to the rest of the CD in almost its entirety. I literally hogged the listening booth! The first track on the CD "Sine Wave" set the motion. It had a moody ethereal sound to it and special effects of that a radio frequency not quite tuned in and I thought there was something wrong with the headset. It didn't come across as a rock tune to me but it was an interesting mix of guitars and mood music. Enough to make me want to listen to the second song "Take Me Somewhere Nice". It gets better, melancholic heart rending guitar intertwined with string arrangements. By that second song I knew I had to "basket" it!

There are eight tracks in all to the CD and only six tracks are of any substance in length. All tracks are outstanding, guitar laden, heart rending, dreamy melodic tunes with hardly any vocals (apparently a common trademark with Mogwai). My only complaint about the CD is that it is too short and you are left with wanting an encore from it. It is rock music at its moodiest best!