Search - Idlewild :: Warnings//Promises

Idlewild Delivers

Michael Henshaw | Sarasota, FL USA | 03/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Idlewild's forth album is one of their best yet. I have had a couple of weeks to listen to the new album and there are some great moments. The first single "love steals us from loneliness" is a great opener and sets the tone of the album. There are some great melodies on Warnings/Promises. "Welcome Home," "I Understand It," and "As If I Hadn't Slept" are all great mid-tempo songs. The rockers on the album "I Want a Warning," and "Too Long Awake" flow nicely into the scenery which is a big improvement over The Remote Part.



The absolute gem on Warning/Promises is "El Capitan." There is definitely some influence from "The Walkmen" in the piano intro, but the song is distinctly Idlewild. No rock album would be complete without some kind of political song. "I Want a Warning" fits the bill and does it in an indirect way. Fans of Idlewild's last two albums should be happy with the new release. Fans thirsty for a hard rocking follow-up to The Remote Part will not be satisfied, but Idlewild are progressing nicely. I can't wait to hear what is next from the band.



"

Idlewild are getting better!

Michelle Branch | England | 03/28/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is Idlewild's fourth album released, and it's pretty good.

Let's analyse track by track:

1) Love Steals us from loneliness (3.12) - Ah, the well-known hit. Quite a lot of Idlewild's songs have too much music, that drowns out the singing but most of the album isn't like this. The new single is sung beautifully, accompanied with slow rock guitars and starts off with a chorus, which appears from time to time during the song 9/10

2) Welcome Home (3.15) - Another song that you can hear properly. Quite a gentle ballad/rock song, with gentle arpeggio's from the guitar in the chorus 8/10

3) I want a warning (3;35) - Quite a contrast, hard, fast paced rock. High guitars in the chorus, and a nice change from the first two songs. Reminds me of a song you'd used in a movie, in a car chase. Only thing is, the music slightly drowns out the song 8/10

4) I understand it (3:20) - Another slow rock ballad, that progresses into a great chorus, with more than one person signing, and a gentle beat 8/10

5) As if I hadn't slept (3:36) - This song is quite like the other songs, with just a little bit more. Idlewild are expanding their music into more gentle "easier-to-listen-to" music. They depend mainly on all the singers singing, to build this song up 9/10

6) Too Long Awake (3:07) - This song takes ages to start up, and when it does his voice is drowned out by the guitars. Otherwise it's a good song, but ends abruptly 7/10

7) Not just sometimes but always (3:33) - Sounds a lot like Welcome Home, but still good. Unfortunately, this song isn't really anything special; more like a filler 7/10

8) The space between all things (4:12) - Another pretty fast paced song, but his voice isn't drowned out that much. The chorus reminds me of a R.E.M song 9/10

9) El Captain (3:57) - This song isn't easily going to be forgotten. It's got striking guitars, and a piano in the background. A strong beat in included, but around the 2.40 mark, the melody is slow and accompanied by a piano 10/10

10) Blame it on obvious ways (3:24) - All the better songs seem to be on the end of the CD! Not a particularly special song though, a bit of a repeated song. Still good though 9/10

11) Disconnected (3.51) - A great song, in my opinion. Great guitars, but not to heavy, and some other instruments can be heard as well (strings, bells?) 10/10

12) Goodnight (8.06?!) - When I first put this CD in, I saw it was 8 mins 6 second and I thought "huh?" but it turns out to be two songs in one. The first half is a ballad, with minimal instruments, depending mainly on vocals, then builds up. But at 3:05, it dies down! Then for 2.40 ridiculous minutes there's complete silence, then it starts up again! So I'm not sure how to rate this! ?/10

Overall a good CD, but some of the song are too repetitive. Just guitars, bass, and drums. Some songs have got other instruments, but the songs really need more. I'm not being over-critical, and lease don't hate me, but none of the songs are "unique" they all sound pretty much the same apart from El Captain and maybe Disconnected.

Hope this helped!"

One of their best

C. E McEwen | Wilmette, IL | 06/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Of course there will be a rash of reviews on this album complaining about Idlewild becoming "pop" and "drastically changing their sound." They are right, but I don't think that is negative. Idlewild started out as a "punkish" band and when their earlier albums first came out I was in my early teens. I loved them, but now in my late teens I can barely stand the whirring redundant guitars and shrieky puerile vocals of those really early albums. They got more mature- "100 Broken Windows" is arguably their best album because it was apparently made in that intersection where they were maturing, but still retaining a lot of their early dissonance. I personally liked "The Remote Part" and thought it had a languishing sort of beauty. This album is very different- far more upbeat and experimental, but I think it retains a lot of the best aspects of their earlier character.



Track wise the standout is "El Capitan," a danceable literate tune well accompanied by piano and unlike anything Idlewild has ever done. "Disconnected" is another more experimental track, with the some interesting instrumentals and great lyrics. "I Understand It" is my other favorite with its great vocals and folk style. I like the balanced and nuanced use of guitars on "Blame It On Obvious Ways." The other songs are really good, I can't think of one I find to be too flawed, though at least two suffer from whirring drowning guitars syndrome/purposefully, but annoying dissonance.



Overall this is a very strong album and I highly recommend it. Equal to "100 Broken Windows"? Perhaps. Idlewild is yet a young band and they seem to be getting better all the time."