Idlewar – Impulse – Album Review
Anyone with their ear to the ground – or paying any kind of attention to social media over the last couple of months – are bound to have come across Idlewar as they seem to have had the hype machine going full pelt! Now, with the impending release of their debut album Impulse it’s an absolute pleasure to say that they justify the huge buzz circling around them.
Considering there are only three of them, the band make one hell of a racket. Opening track “Stone In My Heel” sets their stall out right from the start. A great big swaggering riff from guitarist Rick Graham, coupled with bluesy but powerful vocal from bassist James Blake, oozing confidence and it also helps that it boasts a chorus as catchy as chickenpox in a nursery. The wonderful thing about this album is that as great as that opener is, there are another nine of the buggers all of the same quality. The likes of “Criminal”, “Innocent” and “Burn All This” are all top quality songs delivered with, enthusiam and panache and should appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in the merits of hard rock.
By all accounts, nine of the ten songs on Impulse were recorded over two days and it shows. There is not a moment wasted and a sense of urgency pervades the bands performance throughout. While their peers may have a tendency to show off and jam a song out, Idlewar keep things concise with only one song lasting over five minutes. The end result may be a short album but it’s one that you’ll listen to repeatedly.
With Impulse, Idlewar have shown that there is no need for gimmicks or cheap publicity. All you need is guitar, drums, bass, vocals and a fuck ton of great songs….for once you can believe the hype! 8/10
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