Photo courtesy of V2 Records
My weekend was just as consumed by “The Life of a Showgirl” by Taylor Swift as the next person; however, there was a lot of new music released on Oct. 3. To highlight something different, I looked into the album “Idlewild” by Idlewild — a Scottish indie rock band.
Apple Music classifies this album as “Britishpop,” and it has notes of alternative and folk styles throughout the 10-song tracklist. The album starts with “Stay Out of Place” and closes with “End of Sunrise,” both deep, introspective songs. This album from across the Atlantic Ocean includes an emphasis on instrumentals and lyrics — it’s definitely a little less showy and glittery than “The Life of a Showgirl” and can situate itself nicely as an album perfect for fall walks outside, studying in the library, or just for listening on a drive.
The star of this album is the lyricism, simple yet powerful melodies that focus on telling stories of the human experience. The second song, “Like I Had Before,” includes reminiscences on the past and how it shapes the future. For example, “life is lived in dreams I’ve dreamt before,” stands as a note to the sometimes circular nature of life that happens within our heads and the limits we create within our minds.
After six years of releasing music, Idlewild is back with 10 beautiful songs, rich in vocal tone and powerful lyrics. This is an album that might be harder to stumble upon, with it being UK-centered and other large albums coming out; however, it is truly a hidden gem. I highly recommend listening to this album if you enjoy strong lyricism and are looking for some softer indie bands for this fall season.