This album marks the new direction for Idlewild, one which they have been steering towards for a while now, a far cry from the anger and energy of 'Captain', this is a more thoughtful collection of songs, and although I'm loathed to use the word, perhaps a more
mature offering. Gone are the distorted guitars and pace of old,
Warnings and Promises replaces these with more mid tempo songs and a calmer sound.
Album opener and single choice '
love steals us from lonliness' is probably the closest link to previous album 'The Remote Part' with a nice melody and catchy chorus it coasts along nicely and sets the mood for the album. '
Welcome home' is a soft song with a nice chorus hook and sing-a-long-ability and although not overly exciting is a good song, possibly a future single. '
I want a warning' is the dirtiest song on offer, with a dischordant verse and screeching guitar it doesn't fit with the rest of the album, but sticks with that Idlewild sound we know. '
I understand it' falls into the folky sound which Idlewild have been known to dabble in, with maybe a bit of U2 thrown in there. '
As if I hadn't slept' is very reminiscent of R.E.M, a comparison which was made with some material on the previous album. The verse is typical of what we come to expect from this album and the chorus is fairly upbeat but again not overly exciting. '
Too long awake' grabs your attention with a more balsy sound than most of the rest of the album. It pounds along with a nice guitar riff and melodic chords but still stays within the confines they seem to have set themselves here.
'
Not just sometimes but always' A drumless track here laiden with strings and acoustic guitar, a good song but doesn't stand out. '
The space between all things' is a moody little number, upbeat, possibly the only song you'd get away with playing in a nightclub, but again doesn't have strong enough qualitites to lift it above the rest of the album. '
El Captain' is a beautiful song with melancholic piano and introspective lyrics. The chorus really picks up with a thumping drumbeat and catchy melody - a stand out song. '
Blame it on the obvious' chugs along at a slow pace and gives us a chorus which doesn't quite reach its potential, another filler. '
Disconnected' starts off with the folky sound again but soon flows into the same style of sound as the rest of the album. It is a good song that will probably get better with more listens. '
Goodnight' is arguably the best song on the album. It sounds as though they've put a lot of effort into the structure, lyrics and sound of the song. Nice vocal harmonies and lyrics, the song builds into a euphoric climax which left me feeling satisfied in a way that no other song on the CD did. The hidden track acts as a coda to 'Goodnight'.
To summarise, it's not a
bad album by any means, most of the songs are good songs, they just don't have the spark or excitement that many songs from 'The Remote Part' or '100 Broken Windows' did and it is completely removed from anything prior to those albums. Fans of Idlewild's later efforts will probably, as I did, appreciate the songs but be yearning for more. The album struggles with too few stand out songs and too much of a 'safe' feeling. You won't be able to rock out to any of these songs in concert which is a great dissapointment for me, as Idlewild have always been one of my favourite live bands. Worth buying to complete your Idlewild collection, but new listeners should try their earlier material first.
http://www.idlewild.co.uk/idlewild.html
Watch 'Love Steals Us From Lonliness' Video
Tracklisting:
01-idlewild-love_steals_us_from_loneliness
02-idlewild-welcome_home
03-idlewild-i_want_a_warning
04-idlewild-i_understand_it
05-idlewild-as_if_i_hadnt_slept
06-idlewild-too_long_awake
07-idlewild-not_just_sometimes_but_always
08-idlewild-the_space_between_all_things
09-idlewild-el_captain
10-idlewild-blame_it_on_the_obvious_ways
11-idlewild-disconnected
12-idlewild-goodnight
Linear Mode
