Post-rock has never been the most glamorous of musical genres given its popularity among spotty male youths who spend more time in the pursuit of obscure Joy Division bootlegs than they do in their quest to find a girlfriend.

Mogwai, however, have stuck around just long enough for those spotty youths to grow up and embrace activities, such as jobs and relationships, outside the sanctuary of their bedrooms. In response, the band remain resolutely stuck in the 1990s, not that their fans are complaining. The Glasgow five-piece specialise in instrumental mood music for the chronically disaffected but, even when the disillusioned cease to wallow, nostalgia is a desirable commodity.

It’s admirable, if slightly mawkish, the way Mogwai have adhered, for six albums and 11 years, to the soft bit/loud bit, slow-burn-to-crescendo template that has served them so well. They do it once again on their latest album, The Hawk Is Howling, which is packed with moments of soaring melodic beauty and moments where you just want to scream “get on with it”. The follow-up to 2006’s Mr Beast, widely considered to be their most complete and accessible record to date, it’s atmospheric, loud and bracing. It’s the ideal soundtrack to, say, long periods of introspection.

Soundtrack music is what Mogwai have always done best, such is their ability to tell great stories largely without the aid of lyrics, a fact noted by the producers of the films Vanilla Sky and Zidane: A 21st-Century Portrait. Their music has also featured in CSI: Miami, The Shield and, bizarrely, Sex In the City — it would be easy to presume in an episode where Carrie breaks up with Mr Big.

Best then to see them on the live stage where they excel. Last month the band were forced to cancel the remaining dates of a North American tour after drummer Martin Bulloch fell ill with heart problems. The 34-year-old was rushed to hospital in New York after his pacemaker failed but was later allowed to return to Scotland for treatment, and the band have been able to continue with their European tour.

They used to be a bit of a shambles in the flesh, falling over equipment and forgetting bits of songs, but in recent years a certain professionalism has become evident in their live shows. Maybe they have grown up after all.

Explore Music

• Festivals

• CD Reviews

• Live Reviews

• Classical

Editor's choice

• U2 at Nou Camp Stadium, Barcelona
• The 50 Best Movie Villains
• The 15 golden rules of theatre etiquette