Idle Times – Idle Times Review by Doc Rock

How to describe this album: 60’s throwback brit-pop, massive amounts of distortion. These guys are totally into distorting the vocals, cranking up the guitars to a crunch on what sometimes ought to be pretty chords. This can get cool often. FCC clean as far as I can tell (stupid vocal distortion) but I wouldn’t expect any naughty words coming from these guys, judging from their sound. Try 1, or 5 if you want a quickie. After that maybe consider 3, 6, 9.

Side A
1. **Think about the Hives and the Strokes thrown in a blender. Punchy, poppy chords with distorted vocals. Slows down to a VERY nice pretty ending. Excellent track overall.
2. There’s some intentional dissonance going on here that doesn’t quite sit well with me but I know a lot of people will dig it. Pretty enough song otherwise.
3. *Extremely 60’s brit-pop, but all of it distorted in a great way. You just HAVE to love the guitar in this song. Sounds like old Weezer at some points, sounds like White Stripes at others. Sweet track.
4. More distorted, high chords. An okay song, but far from the album’s best.
5. **Harmonies, and well done! Almost folky, some Stones-y guitar, too! Short track if you’re low on time and need something quality.

Side B
1. *Started off sounding like some alt-pop song I hate but can’t remember the name of, but then came a slew of feedback and crazy noise and I had an eargasm.
2. Like a more raw version of JET but with even more throwback rockin’ and rollin’. Almost to the point of danceable.
3. Distorted Beatles in a rockin’ mood. Nice harmonies, me gusta, me gusta… Still all really distorted though. Switches without warning to a really mysterious little wah-jam for about 20 sec at the end.
4. *Some of the melodies in here sound like 60’s love songs, but then you are reminded that it’s rock by all the crunchy power chords. Really cool ending too! (and by that I mean the last third of the song)
5. Okay, they’ve pushed the limit on how much distortion I will take. If you dig that, play it, but it’s too pretty to have this much distortion!