Idlewild: Shattered Unity
Written: Aug 22 '06 (Updated Aug 22 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A few standout tracks; Group members actually appear on songs together
Cons: Disjointed feel; Andre's weakness as a singer; Big Boi's inability to follow the musical theme
The Bottom Line: "Nothin' is for sure, nothin' is for certain, nothin' last forever"
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| poeticone16's Full Review: Idlewild [PA] * by OutKast |
Ever since the release of their debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, Outkast have been one of the most pioneering acts in hip-hop. With their original combination of Dirty South and G-Funk music that eventually became influenced by funk, soul and rock elements, Andre 1936 and Big Boi continually were able to stand out from their contemporaries. Their natural camaraderie starting from when they were high-school friends also helped them in that aspect. With most of their songs featuring almost-inimitable unity between Big Boi's refined hustler persona and Andre's eccentric traits over diverse soundscapes, it's no wonder why this group received unquestioned critical and commercial success. However, when they decided to release separate LPs under the Outkast name, their union began to falter and the duo's future became questioned.
Despite Big Boi's and Andre's reassuring statements testifying to the strength of their musical relationship, they have not collaborated extensively since 2000's Stankonia with their double LP showing how far apart they are aesthetically and also laying the groundwork for potential solo careers. Even as Idlewild includes blues and swing elements as a soundtrack to their musical set in the prohibition-era 1930s, their vast musical differences make for a disjointed and unfocused album that has its moments but ultimately shows the increasing frivolity of them working together.
Even if one has not yet heard this album, they could simply look at the track list to notice the dissolution of their musical union. Only four tracks feature both members of the group with one of them ("A Bad Note") being an nine-minute long instrumental that aspires to be an early Funkadelic-esque dark-funk epic but just meanders throughout its running time. Their first single "Mighty 'O'" is significantly better with its catchy Cab Calloway-inspired chorus and Dre's sharp rhymes possibly explaining why he doesn't want to rap: "Eat up whatever rapper, but I'm tangled in my cord/...Without dragons to battle, so I’m running from a shadow". Andre is even more impressive on the doleful "Hollywood Divorce" where his somber production and sorrowful chorus help emphasize the certain adversities that the duo still have to overcome on their path of success (and also helps to overcome the deficiencies of Lil' Wayne and Snoop Dogg's guest verses).
Such positives are in shorter supply on the rest of Idlewild; the remainder of which are divided into Big Boi and Andre solo cuts with interludes from the movie sprinkled among the 25 tracks. While Big Boi's songs are more notable but largely standalone from the musical, Andre's songs tend to follow its vaudevillian theme but otherwise disappoint. One of Andre's main problems is that he does not have a strong singing voice so his songs do not resonate well. On the jaunty "Idlewild Blue", his vocals do little to help enliven the song. The same thing happens on the despairing "Dyin' to Live" where a sorrowful piano melody doesn't help Andre's attempt to add pathos to his lament of trying to survive in an uncaring world. When his material becomes nonsensical on "Makes No Sense At All", his sped-up voice reciting silly lyrics (i.e. "two plus two is four/four plus four is eight"...and so on) makes you wonder why he wasted album space on this rubbish.
On the other hand, Big Boi is more proficient on his solo cuts even though they noticeably clash with his partner's songs. Whereas Andre is influenced by the 30's, Big Boi tends to stay in this current period. The song "Peaches", with its introspective subject matter of a marriage gone astray, wouldn’t sound lost on any other Outkast album. Likewise can be said about "The Train" where Big Boi raps from the opposite of Andre's perspective on "Dyin' to Live": instead of worrying if he can survive through strife, he "gotta keep going like if every day was the beginning". He does not totally succeed with his solo efforts though. On "N2U", Big Boi's short verses about having one-night stands and the accompanying singing aren't that interesting. And, on "Morris Brown", the crisp brass of Morris Brown's marching band and a cute chorus doesn't mask that Big Boi's boasts and claims affirming the potency of the group ("two dope boyz in the Cadillac still") are hard to believe after hearing this album in its entirety.
As an album and soundtrack, Idlewild is a disappointment. While a couple of songs on here go well with the musical's theme such as Janelle Monae's excellent "Call the Law" (which technically is considered a Big Boi track even though he only offers a small verse), it doesn't disguise Big Boi's general inability to follow the same theme nor Andre's weakness as a vocalist. Despite these flaws, the differences between the group members are too hard to ignore. Before, their union was able to overcome them; now, it is time to start wondering how close this group is to their end.
2.75 stars
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Hanging With Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
poeticone16
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Location: Chi-town, Illinois
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