Idlewild - Make Another World
[Sanctuary]

After parting ways with Parlophone, the departure of guitarist Gavin Fox and Roddy Woomble’s solo efforts, hearing a new Idlewild album is like the unexpected return of a trusty friend.

Only, this time around, the band have defied the connotations of the above events and produced an album encompassing both the passion of their early days and the maturity of a band who have made six full length records.

Idlewild’s optionally demonstrated ability to crowd please is back on the surface here. The sweaty, buzzing bass lines of the Nineties are back and in terms of accessibility, the noise making drive of ‘No Emotion’ thrashes ‘You Held The World’ for chart friendliness.

Recent single ‘If It Takes You Home’ and opener ‘In Competition For The Worst Time’ follow this vein, the latter, in terms of timing, sounding almost like a whimsically plodding Badly Drawn track.

However nothing has been sacrificed for the sake of appeal. The evolving maturity and depth of Woomble’s writing detectable down the albums has not been compromised. As ever, his windblown lyrics are rooted in heritage, history and inherent Celtic folkiness.

Title track ‘Make Another World’ personifies the ethic of album. Featuring both rough scraping guitars and smooth flitting acoustics it melds the band’s numerous capabilities- from the deep-thinking, poetic hill walking perspective to that first-time in-a-club impulse to flail around a bouncing, smoky dance floor.

Having the slower paced 2005’s ‘Warnings/Promises’ largely shunned, Idlewild have, against the odds fought fiercely against their demons instead of slipping into the void of broken bands and in the process, have created an opening for new fans.

Even loyalists who still hold ‘Hope Is Important’ close to their punk themed hearts will happily swap it for the imposing and monumental ‘Make Another World’.

Make Another World Track Listing:

01. In Competition For The Worst Time
02. Everything (As It Moves)
03. No Emotion
04. Make Another World
05. If It Takes You Home
06. Future Works
07. You And I Are Both Away
08. A Ghost In The Arcade
09. Once In Your Life
10. Finished It Remains