Idle Sons’ debut release, ‘Sixteen Seasons’, is literally a record that took sixteen seasons to see the light of day. When the band formed in 1994 under the moniker of slurpymundae, they knew there was something special about the band. Fast forward to the year 2000, the band changes its name to a more professional Idle Sons and gets some label attention from a 3 song demo recorded with James Black and Rick Jackett of Finger Eleven. This leads to a record deal with Atlantic Records. Before the bands album, tentatively titled ‘Hell Or High Water’, is released Atlantic mergers with an internet company and the band is dropped. In the four years, or the sixteen seasons between being dropped in 2002 and resurfacing in 2006, the band had written new songs and found a new label in EMI.

‘Sixteen Seasons’ is a unique blend of songs ranging from the bands time spent on Atlantic to new music recorded with super producer Gggarth (Garth Richardson). The final product is an eclectic mix of rock songs that, when combined, produces a solid debut record. The diversity of the album is what will draw listeners in and keep them coming back for more.

“Tell Me”, the lead off single from ‘Sixteen Seasons’, is a good way to introduce listeners to the band as it is catchy and has a great hook. The follow up single “Waiting Around” gives listeners a heavier, darker perspective as to what the band can create. This is even more evident when you listen to the rest of the record and hear tracks like “Little Bit Less”, “Getaway” and “Bleeding”. Each one of these tracks shows another side of Idle Sons that we had previously not seen. Weather it is tackling relationship issues in “Little Bit Less”, dealing with anger in “Bleeding” or singing about love in “Getaway” there are no issues that band isn’t willing to conquer.

It is evident that Idle Sons have found their place in today’s unforgiving musical world, even it if has taken them sixteen seasons. I just hope we don’t have to wait another sixteen seasons to hear what this band will come up with next.