MUSIC REVIEWS
OutKast - Idlewild
David Allun Jones
Idlewild, the accompanying soundtrack to Outkast’s thinly scripted musical for an MTV audience, takes the polarizing concept behind the duo’s Grammy-winning Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below and smashes it into one disc. Not only does it make for a disjointed listen that jumps all over the place stylistically, it’s further aggravating by the fact that Outkast continue to play against fans’ wishes by doing an album in which they don’t actually seem to work together. Now more of an umbrella tag than an actual group, Big Boi and Andre 3000 continue the disparate paths of S/ TLB with Big continuing to hold the Outkast flag down with feel-good, freaky funk-fests and Dre chasing after some uncertain dream to be the next great chameleonic Black pop superstar. Such behind-the-scenes drama instantly puts a disappointing stamp on a disc that might remain true to the duo’s ambitious creativity but clearly lacks the much-missed solidarity of their ATLiens/ Aquemini era.
Trying to decipher the group’s current status is about as complex and frustrating as trying to figure out the DaVinci Code. The first leaked track “Mighty O”, and one of two tracks to feature both emcees rapping together, alludes to a tighter-than-ever cohesion. Angry at the constant are-they-or-aren’t they debate, “Mighty O” slings defensive stabs at gossipers over quirky organ stabs and a hook that borrows from Cab Calloway’s “Minnie The Moocher”. It’s a lone moment when things feel like they’re back to normal in the House of Outkast, but as the album continues, the duo’s actions speak louder than their words as the two artists infuriatingly venture down their own individual roads.
With 3000 feeling less and less like spitting these days, it’s up to Big Boi to keep the old Outkast sound alive. Dre may have trumped him on the previous double album in structure and creativity but with Idlewild, the speedy-tongued Big Boi emerges as the stronger halve. Most of his contributions, featuring his reliable Purple Ribbon All-Stars team, are colorful and lively, a la the charming, marching band-riddled bright spot “Morris Brown”. Waddling along effervescently with a sun-kissed vocal from DeBarge sound-alike Scar that’s so feathery sweet it’s guaranteed to plant a smile on anyone who listens, “Morris Brown” is a fun sideshow of excesses. But elsewhere, Big Boi’s focus lies in curious ruminations on marriage. The Broadway-inspired romp “Call The Law”, casts Big Boi and ingnue Janelle Monae as a couple whose union took a turn for the worst the minute they jumped the broom. From his perspective, life as a bachelor showed more promise and it’s a regret that looms large over solo offerings “Peaches” and “N2U”, which stresses booty without matrimonial duty (“Ain’t talking about commitment/ Ain’t talking about no wedding rings/...I just wanna get into you”). Those looking for drama could easily twist this into a revealing of his true feelings of being in a group, as if being free from obligations would result in a brighter present.
While his partner projects bitterness, Andre 3000 would seem to care less, concentrating wholeheartedly on the project at hand. Recording for a musical should be second nature for Dre, whose lyrical ideas are often as theatrical as his choice in wardrobe, and he’s usually on-point in his scope. “Idlewild Blues”, a downbeat take on “Hey Ya”, is fashionable and infectious in it’s twisted play on classic blues structure (down to it’s use of the name “Sally”); “When I Look In Your Eyes” achieves ragtime glee with cool lyrics about rubbing stinky feet; and “Makes No Sense At All” kookily pulls the curtain back on his creative process when he’s not all that inspired. Unfortunately, being in such tight proximity to his group-mate, though, forces a comparison in which he loses the battle. Dre’s eccentric contributions, like the eight minute long space rock epic “A Bad Note”, swiftly steals the rest of the album’s energy, at times, feeling way too labored to truly be enjoyed.
The notion of more of such brazen interaction of styles on one project is enough to induce sickness, especially with the group sounding as relevant as ever on the amazing Snoop/ Lil’ Wayne collabo “Hollywood Divorce”, a brief reminder of what made the group so great in the first place. It’s sad to admit that listening to Idlewild nearly makes one give up on Outkast altogether, but if this present incarnation is all we have to look forward to, then they should officially shoot a dying horse in the head and end it already. Hey ya to that!!
