Idle No More, the 8th studio album from eccentric Berlin psychedelic garage/soul rockers King Khan and the Shrines, is an album rooted in powerful emotional feelings. As the full name of the band is The Supreme Genius of King Khan and His Sensational Shrines, it is clear that they don't take themselves too seriously. Khan often wears little clothing during his wildly unconventional performances. But this album has more of an psychological element than you might be lead to believe. It's a generally upbeat album, but it was derived from the overall pain and sorrow that had built up inside Khan during hard times. Three close friends of Khans passed away within a few years of each other and it took him five years to muster up the strength to release a new album. But damn, did he come back with bang.
This album features trumpet, trombone, saxophone, and enough soul to impress James Brown. Every song has it's own style and groove. "Born to Die" appropriately opens the album with a short intro and gets straight to the point. This song can give you a pretty good feel for the energy of the album in general. "Thorn in her Pride" also has an awesome intro, and from the first snare fil, the song launches like a rocket headed for the moon. There are even some neat little 'shooby-do-ops' for fans of old blues and soul. The music is generally fun and catchy with comical lyrics and a certain air of confidence. The vitality of each song grows as the album progresses. Tracks like "Luckiest Man" triumphantly blast loud horns and smooth bass lines.
Songs range from lively to humorous and even downright sad. Particularly the two middle tracks really halt the horn train. "Darkness" portrays the melancholy of Khan while also providing female-sounding vocals that definitely fooled me. The gloom tune seems to be an expression of Khans despair and a way to help him move past his troubles. "Pray for Lil" then brings a slightly happier build-up which aids in picking the album back up without making being too choppy. After little hesitation they snap back into funk-mode and finish the album strong. A few of the later tracks are actually dedicated to some of Khans lost friends. Known among them is "So Wild" dedicated to crazy party-rocker Jay Reatard.
"I Got Made" brings some positivity to the album's end with intense passion. 'I'll get paid, I'll get laid, I'll get made into a man one of these days' sings Khan coolly, almost as if he really were just waiting to get laid, paid, and made at that very moment, but with patience. This is as much of a track promoting positivity as it is a song that shows the impatience involved in being positive. The final track, "Of Madness I Dream," definitely differs from the rest of the entire album, a trend I seem to be seeing a lot in bands nowadays. It's really slow, acoustic and pretty depressing, but in a good way. It ends the album on a solemn note, and it's nice little come down an album filled with spirit and pep.
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