By: David de Young
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"Dig?" the debut release by the Idle Hands is a five song EP that packs all the punch of a full-length album. In its short 20 minutes the Idle Hands come off like Mott the Hoople meets early Church with Oasis, and the Swedish Oasis (Soundtrack of Our Lives) bringing euro-stadium-rock sound to the party as well. Looks like Polara have finally got a competitor in this town.
This is solid, gripping rock and roll with intelligent lyrics and tense emotional depth. These are guitar songs that cry out to be heard in arenas (or the 400 Bar.)
The Idle Hands are future rock stars in waiting. The Idle Hands are down with the music and with the rest of the program as well. Vocalist Ciaran Daly is personable, and clever with a wry wit and charming in an almost gubernatorial way (read that he has a large aura.) He knows how to market his band and attracts people who want to root for them. As publicists line up at their door, mark my word journalists soon be lined up right behind them. Matt Westby's guitars are full of authentic and jangly rock and roll vibe. Drummer Erik Siljander knows exactly what kind of beat these songs require. Shayne Kramer's bass is authoritative and confident and always in step with Mike Arnold's rhythm guitar. Jeannine Gautier adds backing vocals on a few songs as well as a wonderfully haunting Moog synth line on the title track.
This is exactly the kind of shit that makes me proud to be from Minneapolis. I know it's just the end of January, but this CD is already in my top 10 releases of 2003. It's a great starting point and a challenge to local musicians to come up with 10 new CD's in 2003 to try and knock it off my list. Good luck!
A Track by Track rundown
Track1 "Dissipated" starts off with a few primal beats of pounding drums. The band sings brass-imitating "buh buh buh" vocal lines in a way that makes you imagine the larger than life sound that might be made with real horns. (Polara uses this effect well also.)
Track 2 "Manifesto" is a tip of the hat to the Beatles, Revolver era (Think "Taxman.") But at the same time it shows the more recent influence of Oasis.
Track 3 "Dig?" the title song comes off like Soundtrack of Our Lives from the start but has punkier Stones-like vocals. It almost makes me think of what Lords of the New Church might have sounded like if Stiv Bators could actually sing. Dig? just cries out to be heard live, and is actually two songs in one coming to a close with a bouncy staccato 4/4 beat.
Track 4 "Sorry Now" got some airplay on Cities97 recently, which is where I heard it first. It starts out with slightly adenoidal vocals ala Jonathan Richman that only serves to further demonstrate Daly's vocal diversity. Then suddenly it breaks into slow rock ballad territory with a descending chord progression into the "Who's Sorry Now?" chorus which has all the power of Ian Hunter and company's "All the Young Dudes."
Track 5 "Fine" is the album's weak spot, but maybe only when compared against the other four incredibly strong tracks. "Fine" leaves you wondering what this CD would be like if it were full length. On a 13 song CD a song like this would be perfectly acceptable, just to help with the pacing. To its credit then, "Fine" does make you wish there were another 8 songs to come. But for those it looks like you'll have to wait for the next CD.
The Idle Hands have their CD Release Party in the 7th Street Entry on Saturday night (Feburary 1st) with the Beatifics, Hundred Flowers and Chin Up Chin Up.
Location Info:
CD Review
Artist Info: The Idle Hands
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