Idlewild: Cracking or Dilapidated?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I like them, but what do you geeks think?

― Callum (Callum), Saturday, 11 January 2003 21:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I seem to remember really liking 100 Broken Windows, but it's just the way that Roddy Woomble seems to think wearing a jumper and using really long words makes him intellectual that pisses me right off. Still, their ex-bass player joined Degrassi - the man has taste there.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Saturday, 11 January 2003 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I like em too, but I don't think they've made their killer album. I have 100 Broken Windows and the Remote Part, and I've heard a good few of the early singles, which seem cool enough. The new record has their most consistently good songwriting, but the production's a bit too polished and stadium-eating. The best way to experience Idlewild is in concert though. Their inadequacies (ham-fisted Stipe-isms, occasional melodic drabness, samey material) are blown away in a punk-ish haze.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 11 January 2003 22:35 (twenty-two years ago)

we've had a hell of a lot of idlewild threads, i'm not sure they merit that much fuss. but their potential remains...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 11 January 2003 22:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I downloaded every song of theirs, every b-side, every cover I could not being able to purchase anything but the albums here. I had a poster. I was until after 100 Broken Windows, a fanboy... Haven't really bothered with that recent album though saw them in July. Lot's of teeny moshers seem to like them. Haven't listened to anything of theirs in an age. Not really that concerned about them now. Don't seem particularly innovative, if not derivative, to me at this stage.

― Major Alfonso (Major Alfonso), Saturday, 11 January 2003 23:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I want to be an irritating teen mosher with a vague preference for moderately attractive frontmen who've read, like, a Tom Paulin poem on the back of a packet of sugar once, but I also want to go to a performance by the world's worst REM tribute band, but then I'm also Jo Whiley searching for the Jo Whileyest band ever.

That's three wishes all at once.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 12 January 2003 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

i obviously haven't heard them in ages,cause i always think of them as a kind of noisy punk band,and nothing like rem
based mainly on when i argue i see shapes (which i quite liked) and a few other singles
dunno about this new quieter idlewild though,the rem comparisons seem fairly predominant in any mention i've seen of them recently...

― robin (robin), Sunday, 12 January 2003 03:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, "I See Shapes" when I argue was pretty great actually, I'll admit that. Sadly, they've decided that the route to chart success is to sound like REM's worst moments.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 12 January 2003 03:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know about their earlier stuff but they sound like Strangelove now. With the creases ironed out. Nah.

― DavidM (DavidM), Sunday, 12 January 2003 03:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, I'm STILL a fanboy. They're great. Early stuff is hit or miss, but the hits are great and the misses are over quickly.

― edward o (edwardo), Sunday, 12 January 2003 08:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't get the REM thing at all. REM was never a rock band, and hasn't written songs this good since the mid-Eighties. I say Idlewild is fab. Maybe in line to be better than the Manics ever were.

― ara, Sunday, 12 January 2003 09:05 (twenty-two years ago)

didn't they all the members die in a car crash. or somefink.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 12 January 2003 12:23 (twenty-two years ago)

love em. 'american english' is as good as the soft-hearted indie-anthem (a genre i generally abhor) gets.

― stevie (stevie), Monday, 13 January 2003 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Very good. From Captain through to the new one they've grown up very nicely. Could maybe do with broadening their musical palette a touch in future to avoid getting staid, but yeah, good tunes, good lyrics, great live band. Saw them about three times last year and they got better.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 13 January 2003 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.