Idlewild - Post Electric Blues

Auch Idlewild haben die Zeichen der Zeit erkannt, wollten die Kontrolle über ihre Musik behalten, schneller handeln und direkt mit den Fans in Kontakt treten. Auch hier konnten die Fans das Album vorbestellen und erhielten limitierte Versionen, zusätzliche Lieder, eine persönliche Erwähnung im Booklet und so einiges mehr.

Idlewild kündigten dies so an:

Idlewild are pleased to announce plans for our forthcoming new studio album with an opportunity for our fans to be involved from an early stage. We will be in the studio for the first few months of 2009 and plan a conventional album release in the summer but, for a limited time, we would like to offer our fans a chance to be involved from the beginning by pre-ordering a special edition album along with plenty of extras. This offer is available world-wide so that finally fans overseas will have the chance to hear our music at the same time as everyone in the UK and before any general release.

Das schottische Quintett legt seinen sechsten Longplayer vor und, obwohl „The Remote Part“ weiterhin ihr bester bleibt, ist eine Steigerung im Vergleich zum kurzen, rockig-knackigen Vorgänger „Make Another World“ zu vernehmen. Melodiöse und gitarrige Folksongs nahe an der Grenze zu R.E.M., Teenage Fanclub und (Volker aufgepasst!) Counting Crows bilden das Grundgerüst von „Post Electric Blues“. Blues ist keiner zu hören!

Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers, Ocean Colour Scene, South) saß an den Reglern und die irische Folksängerin Heidi Talbot ist auf zwei Titeln („Younger Than America“ und „Take Me Back To The Islands“) zu hören.

The record opens with the Teenage Fanclub inspired Younger Than America and successfully sets the mood; sporting a summery chorus, unexpected key change and some gorgeous backing vocals from Heidi Talbot. Readers & Writers and City Hall follow and are the pop songs Idlewild have been threatening to write for some time, the former featuring xylophone, brass(!!) and a rhythm that, despite your best efforts, will have you bouncing along the street in the baking sun, grinning uncontrollably. The latter is easily the strongest song on the album, (record review cliché alert!) an absolute treat of a pop-gem reminiscent of Satan Polaroid-all-grown-up. Other highlights include the 'Foolish'-era Superchunk riffing of Circles in Stars, To Be Forgotten's air-punching chorus and the presumably self-referential Post-Electric with the line 'I'm bored for the first time / returning to tried and tested methods / keep it modern and alive'. The album officially closes with the tender Take Me Back in Time but fans are treated to bonus track No Wiser, a song which, like most of Post-Electric Blues, could easily be released as a single.
(god is in the tv)

Für einen richtigen Videoclip reichte das Geld dann wohl nicht mehr, also müssen wir uns mit Fanvideos zu „Readers & Writers“ und „City Hall“ begnügen: