100 Broken Windows

Idlewild members: Roddy Woomble (vocals); Rod Jones (guitar); Bob Fairfoull (bass); Colin Newton (drums).

Four Scots first made a name in their native U.K. in the late '90s with their punk-laden debut, Hope Is Important, scale back a bit on their sophomore effort, 100 Broken Windows. Idlewild 100 Broken Windows illustrates what these four men love about music, specifically their passion for Nirvana and R.E.M. Frontman Roddy Woomble is lyrically quick-witted, and his hazy, splintering vocals ache on tracks such as "Little Discourage" and "I Don't Have the Map." "Roseability" (a nice tribute to poet Gertrude Stein) and "Actually It's Darkness" infinitely find a calmer Idlewild, and such three-chord tracks are tightly polished with energy not present in most modern rock artists currently spawning fast-paced rap-rock.

Tracks:

• Little Discourage
• I Don't Have The Map
• These Wooden Ideas
• Roseability
• Idea Track
• Let Me Sleep (Next To The Mirror)
• Listen To What You've Got
• Actually It's Darkness
• Rusty
• Mistake Pageant
• Quiet Crown
• The Bronze Medal