Idlewild - The Remote Part
The Remote Part is music for everyone – capable, loud, soft, driving, soothing and incredibly exquisite
Can someone grow internally and reach epic heights without making much noise? Can an artist write a truly incredible record yet languish in near obscurity? If a tree falls in…
In some remote part of this known universe, Idlewild wrote what may be the most compelling record in recent years. While their post punk beginnings were humble from a grand musical stand, their passion and intelligent song writing has grown immensely since they first formed. Dogged by comparisons to UK giants Radiohead, Idlewild have proved that all that flair and big exposure means nothing if your product, the very essence they, the mainstream media try to make money from, isn’t of high quality. And in grand tradition, The Remote Part opens with the stadium sized, sweeping track “You Held the World in Your Arms”. It creates an outburst of fleeting emotions, captured in the track’s big orchestral feel – swooping vocals, strings and indelible guitar work. It is followed by a personal favorite in “A Modern Way of Letting Go”, packed with crunchy, up tempo hooks and melodies, it’s reminiscent of fast moving power pop/punk laced with an acerbic rock tongue. Their single, “American English” may somewhat satisfy those who compare Idlewild with Radiohead. It’s catchy guitar riff and beautifully cave like sound resonates perfectly in one’s ear.
What compliments the audio flawlessly is the lyrical poetry that accompanies these fine compositions. Like poetry, it often paints images in your head while you digest the songs and fly away into musical nirvana. The accessibility of this record is striking; while it may not be the most pioneering – sauntering through musical boundaries in an attempt to revolutionize an entire front – it does convey a message of certain serenity within the listener; taking away the burden of critical pressure and turning it into a journey sweeping across landscapes.
Not only strong in power pop riffs and punk loudness, Idlewild manage to serenade the soul with acoustic driven songs and indie rock flavors – perhaps akin to Brit pop/rock seen in the likes of Coldplay. It leaves a puzzled expression on a listener, to try and understand why people have yet to pick up on Idlewild. Perhaps they are just one of those artists, whose beautifully powerful and enchanting music is reserved for the slightly more sophisticated individual. But upon continued listening, The Remote Part is music for everyone – capable, loud, soft, driving, soothing and incredibly exquisite, built on a foundation of personal and musical growth.
(Parlophone / EMI)