Has it been off my stereo I ask you? No it most certainly has not. Definitely a contender, and probably a winner, for any album of the year poll. For those with undeniably good taste in music that is.

If you have Hope is Important, the first iDLEWILD offering, then you might not recognise them as the same band after hearing 100 Broken Windows. The influences of bands such as REM, Sonic Youth and occasionally Nirvana are evident in all their glory on this album. As influences go they're not exactly undesirable, are they? It's true that Roddy's lush voice does resemble Stipey's in his early REM day, especially on tracks like These wooden ideas and Listen to what you've got, but these songs are at least a thousand times better because Roddy actually makes use of his beautiful Scottish accent. And thankfully Idlewild haven't gone (and hopefully never will go) down the country-esque poppy poop shit creek that REM wasted a good couple of years wading down. There certainly is no evidence of it on this album. It's a very personal album and every song will have a different meaning for whoever is listening to it. Even before you have actually managed to figure out the lyrics to the songs, you feel that the songs were written for you.

The track that stands out the most is definitely Actually it's darkness, and not just because the lovely people at radio one actually decided to playlist a decent song for once. It's a bloody excellent song. The day I tire of hearing it is the day I marry h from Steps and start buying J17. Everyone remembers Little discourage. Even I do and I wasn't even that into indie music when it was released. It's a brilliant, rocking way to kick off the album and is the most similar to their previous material. It's also very well produced. Roseability is quite different to the other tracks. The chorus is strangely stick-in-your-head even though it isn't an immediately obvious melody. There is some fantastic guitar work on it that makes you want to turn it up LOUD. Well that's the same for most of the tracks actually, especially I don't have the map which sticks to you like glue and just begs for you to turn it up even louder and mosh along in your living room. You just have to sing along to it. It has this uncanny knack of placing an air guitar right into your hands and urging you to play it, play it like you've never done before. It makes you want to buy a million iDLEWILD t shirts so you can bask in their brilliance even when you are knocked over by flying haggis. In fact, it makes you want to organise a festival in the said living room, just as an excuse to invite Idlewild and and couple of hundred other mad moshers in iDLEWILD t-shirts to cram themselves in, throw haggis around and roll around on the floor whilst belting out "Can't contact, can't contact/Can't cope without the contact". But in my opinion the (other) most outstanding and addictive songs (apart from the singles) are Idea track and Let me sleep (next to the mirror).

Idea track is amazingly original and manages to have shouty moshy parts to it as well as harmonious bits (which at the moment are irritating me because I can't figure out the words). My finger keeps finding it's way back to the 'repeat button'. Let me sleep.. is quite similar in a different way (if you know what I mean, which you will when you get the album). In true iDLEWILD style the stop-start changes of tempo continue with Roddy speaking the words with his gorgeous voice in all it's vunerable glory. The chorus is powerful for song that's not as hard as some of the others. Mistake pageant is another catchy, rocky song. Perhaps one of the fews songs where the lyrics are easy to understand immediately. I know what it feels like to have bad luck anyone? Rusty seems very eighties to me, perhaps a bit too eighties - until you get past the first bit of the verses. Just as you are sighing from relief that that dreadful decade of hideous fashion and music crimes has been incarnated - it comes back again in the shape of a chorus!! Parts of this song are satisfyingly grungey. Apparently this is the influence of the Pixies but that's before my time. Personally I think it's quite like Nirvana. You just wish the song had carried on in that direction. The CD finishes off with the lush ballad The bronze medal. Imagine soaring log fires in a cottage in the Highlands, with rain beating down against the window panes..... well this song is the musical equivalent. It even features log fires in it!!

Sensitive guitar playing, more tinkly piano bits and moody but understanding vocals. Roddy's voice is that lump-in-your-throat kind of powerful, making you realise why Idlewild deserve to be the future of music.

100/10, 1000/10 even!! Hell, give it 1 000 000/10 (I like it)
Steph Glamourpuss

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