Idlewild - If It Takes You Home (Sequel)
4/5
By: Charlie Potter
This is pretty much what you would hope for from Idlewild at this point (other than going back to being what they were when they started, of course). Yes, it's the post-Bob band with the two guitarists, but 'If It Takes You Home' is really very rocking, really very simple, and really very good. Like they used to be. It could well be the time for people that used to be excited about Idlewild to hook up and be excited together again. To anyone who wasn't ever bothered, we're sorry.
You'll love the way this song is almost totally about the delivery. There's nothing especially new or clever about the melody, in fact I'm fairly sure I've heard some really dreadful bands play chord progressions really similar to this and sound god-awful. A natural reaction might be to think that if the melody is generic surely the delivery is superficial and entertaining only in a short lived way, but this would be to make a naïve mistake. If you don't think that music devoid of melody can be good you're a cretin, and if you think all songs are essentially the same thing at different speeds, you are a foolish cretin. Delivery can be everything.
Anyway, the way the different elements work off of each other is brilliant. It also has to be said that the strongest element to this song is undoubtedly the prophetic yet straight talking and down to earth vocal, but it by no means would be as winning if it wasn't over the top of an upbeat rock track with everyone in the band hammering it out beautifully. I don't mean hurting it but pushing it out, playing it and riding the subsequent wave of crusty rock power.
Another way of looking at the relative un-originality of this track is the band proving a mature knowledge of the classic formalities of their genre and utilising all the right hook lines in all the right places with confidence and obvious ability. It all makes for a startling return, one you yourself will probably revisit over and over.
Artists in this article: Idlewild
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