Idlewar – Impulse

Following on from the rightly well received recent EP, Idlewar make their debut proper with this sumptuously groove laden album ‘Impulse’

I will readily admit to being a hook, line and sinker fan of the Rock trio concept, there has always been something a tad low down and dirty about the overall sound that draws me in, no fluffy, sparkly dressing up of what is essentially pure Rock ‘N’ Roll. Idlewar are no different in that respect, the rawness and unbridled power is plain to see, and more importantly hear on this album. A bit of a slow burner maybe but then again, all the best albums are, each play gives you something new, and by the time you have knocked this one out of your speakers half a dozen times, you can count yourself well and truly a convert

Opener ‘Stone In My Heel’ is a great choice, that retro vibe really coming to the fore right from the start, a great stop start riff bolstered by an annoyingly catchy chorus that ensures that you are not going to leave the listening party early. ‘Soul’ follows, with a much darker feel coming through, with a vocal that you just know, is coming straight from the heart. ‘Criminal’ has a lighter ring to it, with an intro riff that reminded me rightly or wrongly of The Cult’s ‘Lil Devil’, all the above having me well and truly transfixed from start to finish. Not that the standard slips anywhere else on the album mind you, ‘Innocent’ for one is just a triumph, such stripped down bare bones Rock is becoming a scarce commodity in today’s glossy, squeaky clean digital age. ‘Glory’ borders on being described as epic, everything you could want musically contained in a four minute blast, that just ignites an almost primeval feeling of wanting to get up and dance like a muppet. You have to take a step back and just remind yourself that this is indeed a debut album

As a first offering, this is nigh on faultless, if Idlewar continue to develop over the next coming releases, they surely have the potential to be major players in the near future. If your fancy is tickled by classic Rock in the vein of Clutch, The Answer, and even Led Zep, this really is worth shelling out for. ‘Impulse’ will be a hard act to follow but these guys are more than capable of stepping up to the plate

‘Impulse’ sees its release (via Pledge/PHD) on September 30^th

Track Listing :

Stone In My Heel

Soul

Criminal

All That I Got

Innocent

Glory

Apathy

Damage

Burn All This

On Our Knees

Idlewar are ;

James Blake – Vocals and Bass Guitar

Rick Graham – Guitar

Peter Pagonis – Drums

www.facebook.com/idlewartheband/