No Longer Idle Self-Tited Review
No Longer Idle knows how to take rock in a new direction, and that’s exactly what they did with their debut self-titled album. The band is comprised of five musicians from all of the United States. Their home-state is listed as California, Ohio, Illinois, and Washington DC. Luckily their musical style is just as eclectic throughout their first release. By fusing elements of rock, jazz, metal, and prog No Longer Idle created a truly unique sound. Each of the album’s 12 tracks share a heavy emphasis on deep soulful rock-n-roll, but all maintain their own personality while easily traverse genres with the help of organs, pianos, and guitar riffs.
“Lady” kicks off the track list with a fast pace and heavy hitting instrumentals as vocalist Roosevelt Abney quickly belts out lyrics. “Cold Chicago” and “Powderkeg” are also bursting with energy and round out the single worthy trio before the album transitions to a more pronounced instrumental emphasis.
Jazz and soul mesh wonderfully without losing any of the albums Rock-n-roll spirit throughout the album’s next tracks “LFO” and “Henpeck’s Prayer”. “Tides” is next up and seamlessly picks up the pacing before the No Longer Idle treads into somber territory with “Grieving” and “Do you Care”. Transitioning from organs and pianos to energetic guitar riffs may seem like a bizarre paring at first, but the ever-changing tempo produces a result that can easily make the transition from this album to the live environment.
“Defy”, “Throwback”, “Improg”, and “Malibu” complete the release and prove a core sound can still be obtained while crossing genre borders. By the Barricade recommends No Longer Idle if you are a fan of progressive rock or prog and willing to venture outside of your comfort zone. Do yourself a favor and pick up No Longer Idle’s latest release. With a price of $5 these underdogs easily beat the competition.
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