Review Summary: A formative album that, despite some common beginner flaws, asserts itself as a very worthy indie-pop listen
Idlewild was one of those bands I discovered entirely by accident. My first contact with Roddy Woomble and Co happened at one of the privileged activities of my youth: a record stock-off sale. It was there, at a then-negligible price, that I found the single for When I Argue I See Shapes. A sticker on the cover labeled it “part 1 of a 2-record set”. What the other half was, I could never find out, but either way, I fell in love with at least two of the three songs off that mini-album. The main one was B-side Chandelier, a hauntingly beautiful composition that was far removed from the punk-pop, hard rock and nu-metal that fueled my adolescence at the time, and that I frequently played or added to compilations thencefort. However, the title track was not half bad, either, and even Palace Flophouse, a trippier, slightly more boring song, had its merit.
Long story short, that was the only Idlewild item I ever liked…until recently. Albums like Captain and 100 Broken Windows had failed to convince me, sounding more like a case of exaggerated hype than an actual indie promise. A few weeks ago, however, I discovered Hope Is Important at – where else? – a stock-off sale, and gave it a listen. While I didn’t acquire it, the experience at least gave me the impulse to come home and download it off the net :)
Bottom line? Yeah, it’s good. This is the Idlewild I know and love. In fact, this was the album When I Argue I See Shapes served as a single for, and being a debut, it captures a young band at its most passionate. Would I have paid full price for it? No, but if I’d paid the stock-off price, I wouldn’t have regretted it.
This album has a slightly different sound than the rest of the Idlewild output. Those of you who know them as masters of mellow, melodic indie-pop will be surprised to see short bursts of hardcore punk shoving through the mellower songs, as well as a prominence for heavier guitars than is the norm in the genre. Unfortunately, these sections end up losing next to the others. The group often sounds in too much of a hurry (You Lost It, 4 People Do Good) and a bit awkward in their angst. They are clearly more at ease crafting smartly poignant indie songs like A Movie For You, Paint Nothing, I’m a Message or Close The Door, and it comes as no surprise that the standouts of the album are found among this type of songs.
Best song in the album? Hands down, the hauntingly beautiful, almost entirely acoustic I’m Happy To Be Here Tonight. With a title that lends itself more to a party rocker than a soft, earnest acoustic number, this is nevertheless a clear standout on the album, and – finally! – a song to rival Chandelier for a place in my affections. Second favourite is When I Argue I See Shapes, my teenhood favourite that withstood the test of time, even if some of its sections are repeated a little more often than they needed to be. Still, the playfully upbeat melodic line in this song throws it to the right side of the fence, where it sides proudly with the third standout, the grey-tinged, typically indie A Movie For You. Both linger slightly behind I’m Happy To Be Here Tonight, and are followed by a strong contingent of songs, including the – again – playfully somber I’m a Message and Paint Nothing and the (this time) driven energy of Everybody Says You’re So Fragile.
The problem, however, is the pack. About midway through the record – after I’m Happy…, actually, the songwriting decreases notably in quality, and while decent songs like I’m a Message help keep it somewhat afloat, they cannot prevent the surfacing of a few stinkers, like You Don’t Have The Heart, with its ridiculous and often-hammered chorus of ”nine, nine, eight, eight, seven, seven, six, six”. While there are no other offenders as serious as that one, the remainder of the album fizzes out without much ado, neither bothering nor particularly exciting the listener.
Still, Hope Is Important can be construed as an above-average debut from what was then a very young band. Compared to other formative albums, like Kill ‘Em All, Bleach, Ready To Rock, Morbid Visions, Smoothed Out Slappy Hours et al, it stands at about the same level – in fact, of all the aforementioned records, I daresay only Bleach and – possibly – Kill ‘Em All are of overall better quality. Bottom line: while this shares many of the flaws most debuts fall prey to, it is a worthy listen for all you indie hipsters out there. Then again, you probably have it already, which makes this review…
….ENTIRELY POINTLESS.
[b][u]Recommended Tracks[/b[u]
A Movie For You
When I Argue I See Shapes
I’m Happy To Be Here Tonight
I’m a Message
