Idlewild Again

I have to say I’m loving this Idlewild album. It’s entirely rekindled my enthusiasm for the band after their oddly lacklustre last effort (which I did enjoy in parts, but which was so turgid at times that it didn’t really feel like an Idlewild album). I posted the first track last time, so here’s the second track: Everything (As it Moves). The rest of the album is relentlessly up-tempo but blending from rock to pop (and even an unusually anthemic dance-tinged sound on ‘No Emotion’, which seems to be the first single) resulting in an album that feels energetic without sounding one note. It pulls off the tricky feat of seeming both familiar and fresh. The exuberance of the music is offset, as ever, by the solemn, overly-introspective lyrics; for some these might feel a tad pretentious but for me this is just about the perfect combination of cheery music and smart language. It all seems effortless. If you like the band and you haven’t already bought Make Another World you should rush out immediately¹.

¹ And buy it. Not just rush outside. Look, at least put some shoes on first.