To quote a terrific album title I heard mentioned this week, "Quiet is the new loud." If you don't understand that, you might upon hearing the latest from Scottish post-rock/noise orchestrators Mogwai.

Glasgow quintet

On Rock Action, the Glasgow quintet forge great, glowing pools of molten guitar and percussion into angular melodies and dizzying squalls of electricity, which is pretty much what they did on previous albums Come On Die Young and Young Team. The difference here is that strings and horns are added to complete the symphonic effect, particularly in the floating gloom of Take Me Somewhere Nice and the timeless and almost pastoral Dial: Revenge, with its Welsh-language guest vocal by Super Furry Animals' Gruff Rhys. The loping, duelling guitar lines on You Don't Know Jesus reminds that Mogwai still have time to pay their respects to U.S. post-rock daddies Slint, and Sine Wave and Robot's Chant offer ambient, rumbling industrial clatter. But it's the closing summation of 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong and the lush Secret Pint that underline just how far Mogwai have come in their quest for the perfect noise, with their balance of almost upbeat prettiness, stark drones and the deep, echoey report of acoustic guitar and wood-on-metal. Speaking of secret pints, Mogwai follow up their excellent March gig at the Opera House with a show at the Phoenix May 27. (More on: Mogwai).

Track Listing 1. Sine Wave
2. Take Me Somewhere Nice
3. O I Sleep
4. Dial: Revenge
5. You Don't Know Jesus
6. Robot Chant
7. 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong
8. Secret Pint