competent maturity

"I don’t like this. Warnings / Promises is an accomplished rock record made by an accomplished rock band. “Back-to-basics” is a conservative epithet and this record is made by conservative men, more interested in craft than inspiration, bound by a subconscious will to safety. Idlewild now sound like REM. Which is to say that the unbound fury became passion and then became earnestness. Which is to say that the maelstrom of white noise became electric strands of silver and then became slide guitar"

Thanks to Ben at SWSL, who draws my attention to a good review over at Stylus of the new Idlewild album, which I've not heard yet, but which sounds from Nick Southall's review like exactly the album I feared it would be, which is mature, slow, thoughtful, conservative. Dull. I'm with Nick completely on this one, Idlewild were always a really exciting, energetic proposition, and their descent into measured Americana is profoundly depressing. Nick writes,

"On the record sleeve, two members of the band are wearing cowboy boots, and another has a denim shirt and jeans on. I suspect someone bought them a Gram Parsons record. Bastard"

Indeed.