Idlewild - A Ghost in the Arcade

Hey, hey, hey, I'm back, claims Roddy Woomble on single number two from Make Another World, and after the poorly received Warnings/Promises, he may have a point. Other than a guitar riff that sounds like it's been filtered through a Sega Megadrive, it's familiar REM-meets-Fugazi territory all the way. That may be the problem though, as A Ghost in the Arcade ultimately smacks of Idlewild-by-numbers, with neither the grit of the old days, nor the glorious pop-sheen of their more recent chart-straddling anthems. They may be back, but it's no return to form yet. [Darren Carle]