100 Broken Windows - Idlewild

In my CD collection I have a number of albums from over the years that I would class as favourites. The kind of albums that I can pick up every few months and still enjoy as much, if not more than I did at the time of their release. One of the albums that really cements that category would have to be the 2nd album from Scottish band Idlewild. Released in 2000, 100 Broken Windows is by far my favourite album the band have released to date. It was recorded during a time when they still weren't sure which direction to follow. Having returned home to Edinburgh to record their second studio album they opted to take a slightly mellower direction than the first ...  Read the complete review

Not really a secret that I love Idlewild now then. Or Roddy, for that matter. The new album "The Remote Part" comes out on the fifteenth, and I'll be sure to buy it as soon as my poor, emaciated student bank account recovers from T in the Park (hey, why do you think I'm churning out all these reviews?) Moving on from my skintness, 100 Broken Windows is the second album (third, if you count the mini-album Captain) release from jock-rockers (oh, how I love that term) Idlewild. This Edinburgh based foursome formed in December of 1995 and have developed from a band described as "shambolic", "lunatic" and "like a Scottish ...  Read the complete review

If you want to catch them before they are propelled skywards with all the speed of a particularly well armed firework then now is the time. Forging to greater heights with each new release Scotland's Idlewild are in the throes of becoming as important as anything that America can come up with at the moment. Taking their name from the hiding place in the 'Anne Of Green Gables' book this is a foursome that have the wherewithal to flabbergast. '100 Broken Windows' is their second album and comes complete with at least a dozen compilation tape favourites. It was released almost 2 years ago in April 2000 and on the eve of the ...  Read the complete review

Easily my favourite album this year, this release sees Idlewild maturing somewhat compared to debut "Captain". But wait! They haven't turned into (fellow Scotsmen) Travis quite yet! Still capable of writing fantastic tunes (they describe them as 'noisy pop songs') Idlewild still know how to make a fantastic racket, as seen on "Little Discourage", and the brilliant "Roseablity", but this album also has a number of slower, but strikingly beautiful songs such as "Quiet Crown" and "The bronze medal". The only thing this album really lacks is a storming single, the previous album had "When I ...  Read the complete review

I expected a lot from Idlewild after buying `Hope Is Important` and I can safely say that this delivers. In fact, I would say it is marginally better than their first LP as it contains a few more memorable songs. There is still that raw Scottish energy that they seem to own in abundance and the lyrics are as meaningful as ever. The opening song `Little Discourage` is an excellent catchy opening track. `These Wooden Ideas` is a certainly one of the best songs of the year. It has a superb melody along with some inspiring lyrics, sung to perfection by Mr. Woomble and theirs that little interlude about spelling contradiction. `Roseability` is a fine example of what ...  Read the complete review