Posted by Nearing his 70th year has found Billy Idol in a reflective mood, with new album Dream Into It – his first album in over a decade – a rumination on the ups and down of his rock and roll life. Avril Lavigne, Alison Mosshart and Joan Jett are roped in to help him chronicle his partying, platinum records, personal relationships and even his motorbike accident in the early 90s.
His ninth solo album is like nine diary entries, with the first one ‘Dream Into It’ a pleasant enough melancholic affair about youthful dreams, littered with a tippy tappy electronic drum beat and shimmering synths and guitar flourishes. Single ‘77’ is a much perkier, but rather rote, pop punk number about Billy’s rambunctious time in punk’s heyday of 1977 – with Avril Lavigne helping on vocals. The best is saved till last in the defiant ‘Still Dancing’ – a raucous rocker which mixes ‘Rebel Yell’ with ‘Dancing By Myself’, reminding everyone that this pensioner is still alive and kicking.
This is a confessional, heart on sleeve record with a strong vein of melancholia to it. This is commendable, showing that there is a man behind the bleach blonde, snarling persona, but this emotive atmosphere is unfortunately tied to rather generic music. The Kills lead singer Alison Mosshart lends her voice to ‘John Wayne’ – a rather leaden, break up ballad. This is followed by another cameo, this time its Joan Jett and Billy offloading their pain and regrets on the ok but passable ‘Wildside’.
‘People I love’ is a decent number, a restrained rocker with chunky guitars which sees William lament the fact he lets down his loved ones time and again. For a man approaching his eighth decade he certainly has a lot of angst, and the restless thrum and polished melodies of ‘Gimme The Weight’ sees Mr Idol bemoan his reckless ways.
His 9th album is a reflective affair that, whilst earnest and full of energy, is weighed down by a heavy atmosphere and rather middle of the road music. Less rebel yell, more melancholic sigh.
5/10.
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