CAPTAIN
by IDLEWILD
The first track here is entitled "Self Healer" and along with track four is the fastest track on offer. Drum beat after drum beat flies at you with heavy distorted guitars in the background. There is a lot of repetition (a common feature in most songs admittedly) but frankly it doesn't really matter. Roddy screams the third verse as if he's just been castrated and there's a great bit where the drums slow down a bit and the guitar becomes less distorted over which Roddy melodically sings "a song is a beautiful lie, a song is a beautiful lie and I know that one day if you die".
Track two is the ominously titled "Annihilate Now!" (exclamation mark included) which surprisingly is nowhere near as frightening as you may expect. The simple undistorted guitar, bass and drums of the verses with Roddy's Americanized voice over the top makes way for only a lightly distorted chorus with a brilliant bass run-up and the surprising lack of screaming when the title words are sung. The chorus reminds me quite a bit of Placebo (but don't be alarmed).The next track "Captain" is, in my opinion anyway, the strongest track here. A great quiet verse with a ringing melody, and a customarily cool bass line builds up to Roddy screaming "YOU SAY WHAT! YOU SAY WHAT! YOU ARE THE CAPTAIN WHAT!". Brilliant stuff, and should have been released as a single.
"Last Night I Missed All The Fireworks" is another top tune. A quick twangy guitar at the start quickly becomes distorted with drums, bass and vocals coming in. The middle section is particularly brilliant; guitars and drums slow down and Roddy screams his head off (again). Probably the only single to be released off this album will be track five - "Satan Polaroid" (hurry up if you want it, there are only 1500). Again there are soft guitars in the verse with loud guitars in the chorus (the build up to which sees Roddy yelping like a wounded dog). I'm not to sure about the end of this song where the Britpopish, baabaa baa baa baa's are served all round, but this is saved slightly by soft talking underneath. One of the weaker tracks but still great.The final track the slightly long-winded "You Just Have To Be Who You Are". A lowdown riff with quietly booming drums starts off. The highlight here for me is when Roddy screams and the guitar goes incredibly distorted (I don't how they would reproduce this on stage). Half way through, this song descends in to Roddy shouting, screaming and whispering things like- "WHO'S THE CAPTAIN AND WHO ARE REALLY MY FRIENDS? AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT? AND NOTHING IS IMPORTANT!!!". I'd say this was probably just made up on the spot, probably whilst he was lying in a comatose state on the studio floor.
In essence Idlewild remind me in a way of the Manics circa "Suicide Alley" and "New Art Riot", minus two factors. The lyrics are not really very focused and are far from politicised and also, amazing as it may seem, Idlewild possess even more life and energy than the Manics did way back in the early nineties. They’re gonna be big.
Reviewed by Rowan.
Check out his Idlewild page.
