Album Review: "Dig In" by Idlewar

Dig In

More DIY music for you today.

Today we're looking at a power trio. You know, I've never liked that designation. I mean...are there non-power trios?

What about The Jimi Hendrix Experience?

What about Wolf Mother?

Rush?

Anyway, I'm losing the plot as I always seem to do. Idlewar is a brand new band. They formed in 2014, so it's possible they're not even one year old yet.

All we have here is guitar, vocals, and the rhythm section. It kind of reminds me of Rod Torkelson's Armada Featuring Herb Menderchuk. Except that not only is bass good, the drums superfine, but the whole rest of the band doesn't suck.

Idlewar

Now, maybe there's something I don't know going on here and I know that 95% of the great band names have been taken, but I think that Idlewar might be either the most misnamed band, or the greatest named band ever.

To me, that name sounds metal, but it also implies a potential energy that is evident in their music.

It would be hard to picture these gents playing at a garden party, or a fancy tie dinner.

There's just too much action in the music. It's not that we're talking about virtuosity here, but beautiful simplicity that pounds and grinds.

Can a power trio play arena rock?

Idlewar's brand of rock hearkens back to the ancients. When distortion was created by cranking your Marshall stack up to ten and overdubs didn't exist. Back when bands went into the studio with $200 and came out with the master tapes to a raw, hungry album.

They don't have giant songs or pyrotechnic solos, but when your band is this good and can just burn with the riffs, it's not needed.

The song, the riff, the band. That's Idlewar.

Release: 7/21/15
Genre: Rock
Label: DIY
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