#180
Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows (2001, Capitol)
I find it kind of interesting that this album never gets brought up in the conversation about bands from the earliest part of this decade that drew heavily from the post-punk/new-wave spectrum of the eighties, because it is chock full of signifiers from that era. Sure, none are quite as obvious as those found in contemporaries like Interpol or The Strokes, but they are easily revealed on close inspection. Perhaps this is because Idlewild's influences are a little less cool than what the other guys drew from, the jangle-pop and vocal counter melodies of early R.E.M. and the anthemic, guitar-led choruses of U2 are a much more obvious target. But don't let those names fool you into thinking that Idlewild were simply recycling the boring, easy targets on this album. Instead, these guys melded their influences with a particularly Scottish stream of punk rock, layering overdriven guitars on top of soaring choruses and not being afraid to shout when a whisper just won't do. "Little Discourage", the album's lead off track, puts you in the right mindset from the get-go, what with the angular guitar lines melded to a huge and hooky chorus that is downright undeniable. It's a formula that works really well throughout, but fortunately Idlewild knows just when to take a right turn to keep the album from ever growing stale. The jangle-pop intro and synth line in "These Wooden Ideas" is the first sign that these guys really know what they're doing, while the relatively dissonant "Rusty" and the anthemic "Let Me Sleep (Next to the Mirror)", complete with Edge-inspired guitar chimes, seal the deal. Their debut full-length, Hope is Important, was a passionate, if a little unfocused, burst of punk energy, but 100 Broken Windows finds them aiming higher, ably integrating their influences, and striking upon a truly engaging, exciting sound. Shame it all started to go downhill after this one.
