Dig In is the debut EP from Californian rock trio Idlewar, released in July 2015, one year after their inception. Drawing inspiration from a variety of groups both old and new, they aim to deliver a hard hitting, stripped down brand of rock and roll.
Production is very important for this sort of music, and they seem to have found a balance that works. It lacks a bit of polish, giving it a live feel, with the slightly fuzzy guitar tone and noticeable low end presence providing added weight to the material. The snare could perhaps use a bit more power, but other than that I can’t really say there’s much wrong with the drum sound. They have pretty much nailed what they were aiming for, which makes it even more of a pity that the material on offer is not up to much.
“Chunk of Me” starts things off vocalist James Blake singing over a thumping bass drum intro. Simple but effective, it’s a somewhat promising start. A palm muted guitar joins the fray as you feel the song building to a crescendo. Sadly, the pay off never comes. It dives into by-the-numbers rock territory, with a forgettable riff struggling to keep the song’s head above water. “Out of My Head” fares a little better, with the groovy main riff at least having a bit of swagger, but it’s another bland number. “Eleventeen” feels like a slog even at just over three minutes in length, with another toothless riff leading the song nowhere. This is the major issue with this release. It’s not that the music is bad, it’s just that it’s so pedestrian that it’ll go in one ear and out the other. There are glimmers of light here and there (mainly in “Feel the Pain”, where they slow things down a touch), but for the most part the tracks feel underdeveloped, built around riffs and ideas that aren’t strong enough to carry an entire song.
I can’t really say it’s a lack of effort on the band’s part. There’s nothing wrong with their performances, and James Blake does a commendable job on vocals, channelling his inner Myles Kennedy. There’s only so much you can do with such limited material though. That’s not to say that there is no hope, as there are a few moments of promise to be found. It seems the band want to go for a less is more approach, but I feel it would be more beneficial for them to try and flesh out the songs and ideas a little more. Hopefully this will be something they do in the future, but until then, I feel compelled to give them a miss.
Rating: 2/5
Highlights: “Feel the Pain”
Band links: Facebook, Bandcamp
