Review Summary: Scottish rockers return sounding rejuvinated and raring to go
Idlewild have come a long way both as a band and as musicians since the then 19 year old angry Scottish punks Roddy Woomble, Rod Jones, and Colin Newton met at a flat party back in 1995. So how does their most recent release match up to their back catalogue? The fiery ‘Hope Is Important’ was followed by the stadium filling sound of fan favourite ‘100 Broken Windows,’ which have since been succeeded by the more maturing sounding ‘Remote Part,’ and ‘Warnings/Promises.’ 1 EP, 4 Albums, and 4 Bassists later, we arrive upon the spectacle that is ‘Make Another World’.
Idlewild are; Roddy Woomble (Vocals)
Rod Jones (Lead Guitar)
Allan Stewart (Rhythm Guitar)
Gareth Russell (Bass)
Colin Newton (Drums)
In an interview completed by the band shortly after the release of ‘Make Another World’, Woomble commented himself that “We all know that what really makes a rock song, is the riff!”. Seemingly rejuvenated in his love for guitar driven rock melodies after the release of his solo project ‘My Secret Is My Silence’, fans were given the largest hint of all that Woomble and co would be moving away from the folk oriented Warnings/Promises, and back more toward their roots, surely not ‘100 Broken Windows’ mk2? In short, no. There are no screams, no shouts, and there are certainly no tracks such as ‘Idea Track’ which consist purely of what can only be described as frustration and anger at some hidden source. Yet on the exact opposite end of the spectrum we are not given ballad’s as heartfelt as ‘Not Just Sometimes But Always’. Instead what is presented to us is the sound of a band re-energized, a band having fun, and most importantly, a band making music purely for its fans. The combination just stated leads us to what really defines the sound of ‘Make Another World,’ a middle ground between all of Idlewild’s past albums to create a crisp, concise sounding album that flows seamlessly from track to track finishing on the aptly named title ‘Finished It Remains’.
In times gone by, distortion, the odd scream, and a fading outro have been techniques paramount to Idlewild’s success and their distinct sound. What is abundantly clear after the first few tracks of ‘Make Another World’ is that the latter two at least have been eradicated, instead replaced with both Jones and Stewart showing off their musical prowess, and seemingly having a good time in the process. Both ‘In Competition For The Worst Time’ and ‘Everything As It Moves’ the pair are found intertwining frequently whilst on ‘Finished It Remains’, Stewart is given solo priorities on one of the strongest closing tracks the band has ever produced. Aside from the guitar work that often dominates and has dominated Idlewild over the years, one of the cornerstones of the band Colin Newton puts in as solid a performance he has ever produced, if not more so on this record. The jazz-like beat produced on ‘No Emotion’ is worthy of special mention, as is the powerful work instilled in ‘Once In Your Life’. The looping drums set the platform for the crunching riff, and consequently are a salient factor in substantiating the beauty that the song possesses.
The only track similar to the abrasive raw material found in Idlewild’s back catalogue arrives midway through the album with ‘If It Takes You Home’ with Roddy conveying a message to someone, somewhere, that “the truth is true, no matter how you act”. Acting as first single from the album, ‘If It Takes You Home’ hits hard and stays with you thanks to the memorable riff, and gives the already hardcore fans a taste of times gone by with Woomble himself describing it as “a proverbial blast from the past.”
Following the upbeat ‘Ghost In The Arcade’ a poppy number with a catchy chorus and a distorted riff, comes a transcendent gem; a downbeat, bordering on sombre number that flirts with pure perfection; ‘Once In Your Life’. Stewart’s guitar softly weaves in and out while Jones takes control and feeds the listeners ears with not one, but two solos, all whilst Woomble preaches of the importance of grabbing an opportunity with both hands before it passes by, crooning; “If you don’t know what you want, then what you want wont wait.”
So then, does the band once described as sounding like a “flight of stairs, falling down a flight of stairs” shake off any murmurs of R.E.M? Michael Stipe? and Snow Patrol? It seems as with every Idlewild album the answer is no, and as they haven’t done it by now, I can never see it happening. However, fuelling the cynics’ fire and their argument comes the undoubtedly poor ‘You And I Are Both Away’ which could slot into a Snow Patrol LP without the bat of an eyelid. It’s repetitive and simple structure adds nothing to the album and most irritatingly of all purely radiates ‘filler’. There is no shining performance from Newton or Jones either to save it from obscurity, and is an anomaly in the pack, not dissimilar to an albino hyena.
Newcomers to Idlewild may want to start elsewhere before jumping on board the ship that is the newest installment in a saga reaching 16 years, as its inaccessible nature has been mooted by many. A band definitely worth persevering with however, Idlewild’s ‘Make Another World’ turns from an average alt rock album into a foot tapping stadium worthy one that wont leave your CD player.
Recommended Tracks:
Everything As It Moves
No Emotion
Once In Your Life
Finished It Remains
