King Khan And The Shrines ‘Idle No More’ – ALBUM REVIEW

King Khan and The Shrines are set to release their new album ‘Idle No More’ on the 3rd September after a five year break since the band last produced any material, but this twelve track masterpiece has been worth the wait.

The Canadian group’s album title was inspired by an indigenous-rights movement called ‘Idle No More,’ which is set up to give the First Nations of Canada equal rights in resources and funding for services such as education and housing, which currently they do not have. ‘Idle No More’ consists of twelve ‘refined pieces of music,’ as described by King Khan, which talk about the state of the world we live in today.

Musically the album is reminiscent of the likes of Madness, featuring a multitude of instruments, ranging from the usual electric guitars to the more jazzy saxophonists and trombonists.  A sophisticated and cultured work of art, King Khan adds the vocals to give the finishing touch to the bands eighth studio album.

‘Look out below, the world as you know is running on empty it seems.’ A lyric from the last track ‘Of Madness I dream,’ ends the album on a softer note trying to replicate a mirror of the world or today. The album talks about the wars that ruin our lives, the unsung heroes who live in poverty, the ugly beast that must be tamed inside all of us and then onto ‘So Wild,’ which is dedicated to two of his friends called ‘Jay’ that King Khan has lost over the past few years.

The highlight of the album for me was ‘Better Luck Next Time,’ a blast from the past with Rolling Stones like lyrics, ‘I don’t wanna have to tell you baby, that you’re tangled up and making me crazy, I keep hoping that it’s cause you’re lazy, something must be wrong.’ The track, featuring in the middle of the album, takes away the somewhat depressing nature of the majority of the album and gives the listener a more pop-rock track which soothes the ears.

Listening to this album sends you into a trance, the mixture of instruments blowing your mind and with lyrics that talk about the state of the world, King Khan’s latest work is sure to be a favourite with fans old and new.

Tom Eastwood