Idlewild – The Remote Part: Looking Back And Soaking Up The Vulnerability.

By Mark McConville

Scottish act Idlewild showcased a vulnerability on their 3^nd album The Remote Part, which was released in 2002. The record also showed the unparalleled lyrical adeptness by lead singer Roddy Woomble, whose knack for metaphorical wonder steered the band to the forefront of the Scottish music scene.

And The Remote Part blossomed, even though it had taken time for it to do so. Through its anecdotes, it spawned many stories, and Woomble as the prime songwriter was becoming a majestic storyteller, waking up his demons and taking them to the slaughter, and breathing new life into the alt rock scene. Such a dark album in its entirety, The Remote Part, wasn’t for everyone, it was mostly for the disenchanted, the people who wanted to escape into the music, while staying sane. The themes explored insecurity, hopelessness, and rotting romances, making the record a hard listen at moments.

Diehard fans loved The Remote Part for its developed guitar riffs, which were simple in their execution. Those melodies also became the band’s trademark, and Woomble’s brooding vocal work became a signature sound, and Idlewild had truly made their mark. You Held The World In Your Arms opened the album with vigour and loveless intent. A story of a lover drifting away. It showed Woomble’s creativity and his voice worked extremely well on the track. Lyrically it was a standout:

‘’When you’re secure, do you feel much safer?
As days never change, and it’s three years later
It’s like your life hasn’t changed,
And it’s three years late
So how does it feel, to be three years late?
And watching your youth drift away’’

The song clearly exhibited someone who was watching life slip away without frantically trying to meld the pieces back together.

American English truly showed that Idlewild could mix things up and use melody as a catalyst in their most profound songs. The musical foundations on this track were special, as Woomble sang with the eagerness to show his beliefs. Those instrumentals again were crucial to the tracks development, as well as the macabre lyrics:

‘’Sing a song about myself,
Keep singing a song about myself,
Not some invisible world’’

Then, a song of significance blew open a new world for Idlewild. Living In A Hiding Place was a track that showed Woomble’s lyrics in a brighter light. He didn’t hold back, and his insecurities were laid bare.

‘’It’s when I live in a hiding place
It’s the only way I feel safe
When I’m safe in a hiding place
(That’s not hidden now)
I’m safe in a hiding place
It’s the only way I feel safe
When I’m safe in a hiding place’’

The saddest song came at the end, a song which would stick in the head and balance on the brain. In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction was extraordinary from start to the mind-blowing conclusion. A poetic wonder, it solidified Idlewild as bearers of wisdom and musical aptitude.