While Mogwai‘s ninth studio album is just around the corner, founding member Stuart Braithwaite has also been busy working on another project; alt rock supergroup Minor Victories.
Comprised of a veritable all-star line up, the group also features the talents of Slowdive‘s Rachel Goswell , Editors’ Justin Lockey and Hand Held Cine Club‘s James Lockey.
Sharing debut single A Hundred Ropes, the four-piece have also announced the details of a forthcoming self-titled LP.
Released on June 3rd, the ten-track album will also feature guest contributions from Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon and Twilight Sad‘s James Graham.
A Hundred Ropes combines uptempo synth arpeggios with swelling strings, dreampop guitar work and Goswell’s ethereal vocals. The end result is a somber yet surprisingly poppy track. Despite leaning more towards what might be expected from an Editors‘ album, the fingerprints of every group member’s distinctive styles are easily discernible.
The track is accompanied by a video directed by Justin Lockey and the members of Hand Held Cine Club. Shot in bleak monochrome, the scene depicts a group of Samurai charging towards what feels to be hapless victim. Repeated lyrical hook “We’ve got to find our own way out” adds to the foreboding sense of urgency and entrapment.
Lockey shared some insight into the inspiration behind the clip.“Basically the way I see it, we’re at a point where music videos or as they are most commonly known as nowadays ‘bits of content for the internets’ are so crammed with narrative with an insane and relentless amounts of cuts/editing etc. to keep you interested that it’s become the norm…at the end of the day there’s nothing quite like the simplicity and beauty of a one shot done right… And a bunch of samurai’s emerging from a field and charging towards you at just under 1000 fps in monochrome? Well that’s always gonna look pretty cool whichever way you cut it,” he reflects.
Minor Victories Tracklist:
01. Give Up The Ghost
02. A Hundred Ropes
03. Breaking My Light
04. Scattered Ashes (Song for Richard) (feat. James Graham)
05. Folk Arp
06. Cogs
07. For You Always (feat. Mark Kozelek)
08. Out To Sea
09. The Thief
10. Higher Hopes