Mogwai are best known for thunderous epics like “Summer,” “Mogwai Fear Satan,” and “Christmas Steps” — songs that find the Scottish outfit combining elements of shoegaze, math rock, and indie rock, piling on the guitar effects, and pushing everything waaay past the redline. But on 2001’s Rock Action, the band tempered their volcanic sound into something subtler thanks to the presence of strings and electronics.

As a result, “Take Me Somewhere Nice” doesn’t contain the sonic intensity that Mogwai is usually known for. However, its brooding nature certainly contains plenty of emotional intensity courtesy of Dave Fridmann’s rich production, Michael Brawley’s stirring arrangements, and Stuart Braithwaite’s hushed vocals.

The early ’00s were a pretty dark time for me, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually speaking, and I spent many evenings driving around Lincoln trying to process and escape it all. Rock Action was a frequent soundtrack during such drives, with “Take Me Somewhere Nice” becoming a much-needed balm. I broke down more than once listening to Braithwaite sing about alien spaceships flying over Glasgow, his voice and lyrics filled with a resigned yearning that really resonated with me, especially when it was accompanied by soaring strings and delicate guitar melodies.