“Maturity” is a fairly maligned buzzword in pop music, typically a backhanded compliment paid insincerely to an artist fast running out of ideas. But Warnings/Promises, Idlewild’s fifth album, is that rarest of things: the sound of a rock’n’roll band’s confidence flowering, the sound of all their ideas past (and a fair few fresh ones) coming to fruition.

Compare the depth, the strength, the clarity of the music contained on the new album, with the jewels of Idlewild’s back catalogue, and it’s clear that we are no longer dealing with the amiable, chaotic punk-rockers of their first singles, but rather those same restless spirits several stops down a road that’s presented them with a lot of success. And while they continue to gather strength with each release the bands who might’ve been considered their contemporaries have mostly fallen away.

As anyone who saw Idlewild’s 2003 Australian Tour can attest to Idlewild are nothing short of an astonishing live enitity. Do not miss them when they return to Australia this May.

Idlewild Warnings/Promises out March 21 now on EMI.

“Warnings/Promises is another awesome growth spurt of our most uncompromising, credible and soul-stirring arena-bound rock band. Big music? The Biggest.” NME 9/10.

Dates Played

SYDNEY
When: Fri 27-05-05
Where: Metro Theatre

PERTH
When: Sat 28-05-05
Where: Monkey Bar

ADELAIDE
When: Sun 29-05-05
Where: Fowler’s Live

MELBOURNE
When: Tue 31-05-05
Where: Corner Hotel

BRISBANE
When: Wed 01-06-05
Where: The Zoo