Idle No More is inspiring on many levels, but mostly because it beckons us to dance passionately and live fully in the wake of ever present darkness.
For the most part, Idle No More is as much of a party as anything The Shrines have released. But it’s one that anticipates, and morbidly worships, the hangover that’s about to come.
Khan seems at his least blurry, focusing on delivering an album of coherent and unexpectedly beautiful sentiments with all the rock & roll power that's made him one of his generation's great frontmen.
R&B, soul and big band inform ‘Idle No More’, doing away with Khan’s raw garage sound in favour of sharp anthems that ring with brass stabs, hectic basslines and tambourines.
In addition to being a contender for garage-rock album of the year hook for hook, chord progression for chord progression, there are lots of strong personal touches here
Khan's state of the world message might be slightly obscured, but there's an obvious feeling of hope and refreshing lack of restraint on this hugely enjoyable return.
Its fusion of Brian Jones-era Rolling Stones paisley pop and Spectorian pomp pushes Khan and the Shrines beyond their usual JBs jones, but the album’s title speaks to a burgeoning social consciousness.
Ultimately Idle holds a handful of jewels in its bag of parking lot gravel. It’s far from terrible, but it’s equidistant from that and “worth a dozen more spins.”
#31 | / | Paste |