AFTER a six year break, Scottish indie group Idlewild are back with the new album Everything Ever Written. Although the title would be fitting for a compilation of the band’s 20 years of work, the latest is actually an ambitious grouping of new songs in a new direction from the refreshed band. With the band’s own guitarist Rod Jones producing and John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr.) mixing, Everything Ever Written is a rich array of alternative rock compositions marking a strong return for Idlewild.

The album opener ‘Collect Yourself’ is one of the few tracks that was written and recorded with the inclusion of the band’s new multi-instrumentalist members Luciano Rossi and The Hazey Janes’ Andrew Mitchell. An atmospheric fade in of distorted guitar feedback launches into the track’s riff heavy bridge before being juxtaposed by a lighter verse led by vocal harmonies. This sets the tone and idea behind the album; after 20 years of making music, Idlewild can still produce songs without pretence.

This leads onto ‘Come On Ghost,’ a bipolar track that starts off at a branch of Scottish folk before morphing into a spectacle of psychedelic noise with the inclusion of brass and strings. The band have controlled the contrast enough to make it work with Jones describing the track as one of the most interesting to record. The album softens for the first time with ‘So Many Things To Decide’ as violins and an acoustic guitar play the predominant role.

Arguably the most pop sounding, and ‘classic Idlewild,’ song ‘Nothing I Can Do About It’ follows with its delayed guitars, straight rhythm section and catchy melody in the chorus. The following tracks follow suit by blending the alternative rock, folk and pop elements seen in the first third of the album.

The album’s penultimate track ‘Left Like Roses’ is a standout song as it veers off into a more European electronic territory. The slightly out of tune keys with the mellow and spacious structure create an almost haunting song which demonstrates the band’s freedom to write courtesy of a five year gap. The album ends on a similar note; a piano led atmospheric and somewhat personal song.

It would seem that a lack of time restrictions and some space to breathe has done good things for the band. By toying with desert rock and abstract noise, the addition of the new members and their tried and tested ability to write indie folk songs, Everything Ever Written has turned out to be one of their best studio efforts. Welcome back Idlewild.

Everything Ever Written will be released on 9th February 2015 and can be pre-ordered here. The release will be followed with a European and UK Tour.

UK TOUR DATES:

7th March – O2 ABC, Glasgow
8th March – O2 ABC, Glasgow
10th March – The Institute, Birmingham
12th March – The Ritz, Manchester
13th March – Roundhouse, London
20th March – The Limelight 2, Belfast
21st March – The Academy, Dublin