"You look worn out, more and more each day..." (Warnings/Promises - Idlewild)

Member Name: Midrange

Product:	Warnings/Promises - Idlewild
Date:	06/09/08 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A handful of excellent tracks "El Capitan", "Not Just Sometimes..."

Disadvantages: Several (dare I say) boring tracks, feels tired in places

Ever since I heard "American English" (from album "The Remote Part") for the first time back in 2002, I have been an avid follower of Scottish rock band Idlewild. Soon after buying "The Remote Part" (which I would highly recommend) I quickly filled out my collection with their previous three albums. I loved their sound - hard, verging on punk at times, with engrossing lyrics and with a powerful and melodic lead singer in the form of Roddy Woomble (perhaps one of the best names in rock music?) I was keen for more...

"Warnings / Promises" was released in 2005. Such a fan had I become, I even pre-ordered the album (something which I had never done till that point). The anticipation was incredible! I hadn't even heard the lead single "Love Steals Us From Lonliness" (I didn't really listen to the radio much at University).

I am sorry to report that "Warnings / Promises" did not meet my reasonably high expectations - and I've heard that other fans are equally disappointed. I am happy to report, however, that W/P does contain some dazzling tracks. In this modern age of convenience, I would highly recommend downloading "El Capitan" from iTunes - it's beautiful. A chilling piano intro stumbles into a free flowing and moving verse which then explodes into a pounding chorus. Some great lyrics in the song too - "Circled by your secrets, hoping they don't include me, at least I'm in good company, when there's no-one else around except me".

Other fantastic (if brief) moments in the album include the lead single "Love Steals Us From Loneliness" with it's steady, plodding verses and Woomble-esque (that is, poetic but unintelligible!) chorus - "You said something stupid like, 'Love steals us from loneliness'. Hapy Birthday - are you lonely yet?"

In my opinion, the album has some real stinkers on it too. The third track "I Want a Warning" grates horribly - even with my metal/punk acclimatized ears, I find this track difficult to enjoy. There are also some totally forgettable tracks - "Too Long Awake" and "Disconnected" both feel rather empty and bland. Idlewild are certainly steering away from their punk roots (not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing) and moving towards R.E.M. in their sound. But unlike REM, Idlewild seem to have lost their edge.

Lyrically, Idlewild had always delighted me with their, well, unusual style. Woomble clearly thinks himself to be something of a poet - and I would not disagree. He does have a way with words. But sometimes it just gets too much. He seems to be overly fond of the contrasting statements - exemplified in "I Am What I Am Not" (from "The Romote Part" - where it felt fresh and lively) then over and over in W/P (I won't list examples). The cleverness has gone and it's left feeling, dare I say, meaningless.

In conclusion, I see Warnings / Promises as a small blip in the rock band's otherwise strong humble career. Check out "100 Broken Windows" - an almost perfect album in my own view. Thankfully Idlewild's follow-up to W/P, entitled "Make Another World" was a true 'return to form' - as they say!

Summary: Disappointing album from an otherwise fantastic band. Check out earlier work instead.