Idlewild – Post Electric Blues (Cooking Vinyl) Despite the naff title, this may be a contender for album of the year. I lost touch with Idlewild after American English, but had been a fan in the early years after seeing them blow away the opposition on an NME tour. Frankly, they were an awesome live band. I am now on the hunt for the CDs of my lost years, because Post Electric Blues is magnificent. Tracks like “Younger Than America” are a lesson to the likes of REM, as an example of how melodic rock can hit the heart even when a band is on their seventh album. Singer Roddy Woomble has been producing folk albums of late, and this string to his fiddle is highlighted on the hauntingly beautiful “Take Me Back To The Islands”. There is an eclectic feel to the collection, held together by a tight group of excellent musicians, and fine variations in tone and subtle vocal harmonies. I’m off to see Idlewild this autumn, hoping that the old live spark is still there. Get ready at the merchandise stall; I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. www.idlewild.co.uk www.myspace.com/idlewild Carl J. Post Electric Blues Promo: Next