King Khan & the Shrines – Idle No More
Well into a decade’s worth of an impressive career, it seems as if King Khan is slowing down a bit. Â Not only does this reference his musical output, but also the pacing of the songs on the latest King Khan & the Shrines record, Idle No More. Â The psychotic garage/blues infusion seems much more reined in here, leaving some great slow burners, but nothing with the frenetic energy of previous albums.
“Born to Die” opens with a sitar, which seems like the perfect prelude to a booty-shaking track from King Khan, yet it never goes quite in that direction. Sure, there’s some pedal work on the guitar and a bit of a stomp, but there’s no ferocity here; it’s rather a tame song, though by means a bad one. Â Unfortunately, that seems to be the theme on this record: good tracks, though nothing great. “Bite My Tongue” follows, and it floats along in a similar manner as its predecessor. Â It’s got parts that are fairly catchy, lyrically speaking, but musically, it seems to miss that killer punch that you’d get from a song like “Torture.” Â However, the R&B influenced tracks are much stronger and focused, making them the standout tunes on the album.
Yes, KK has always had a huge soul/R&B influence, but I think one of his most successful takes comes on Idle No More in the form of “Darkness.” Â I love how the track barely moves beyond guitar and vocals until the 1 minute mark where you get the emotional release from the introduction of horns and light percussion. Â Of course, it lurks back into its quiet form, but that again builds towards that soulful explosion. Â And, as if we needed more proof of the group’s love for classic R&B, then you don’t have to go further; “Pray for Lil” is waiting for you. Â It’s definitely got the Shrines working the horn section, and King Khan bringing his own vocal touches, but the main vocal performance is remarkable. Â It might just be my favorite track on the LP.
I don’t want to be too harsh on King Khan & the Shrines because there’s a lot of music on here that I really enjoy, such as “So Wild” or “Yes I Can’t.” The deviant attitude is still visible, the songwriting is successful…I just wanted more of a punch. Â It’s as if Idle No More was created for more of a high school prom, rather than some dingy club filled with joyous dancers. Â For me, this whole record shows a band writing good songs, but without the madness that was present in previous years, it’s just that, a good record. Not a great one.