Roddy Woomble - My Secret Is My Silence will see US release

I've been listening to it forever because I'm a drooling fanboy, but I just read on Stereogum that Roddy Woomble's amazing solo record My Secret Is My Silence will be released in the US in July. Head over there to download the title track, which should give you chills if blood courses through your veins. Especially if any of it is Scottish blood.

Roddy's day job, FYI, is to front Idlewild, arguably the best band in the known history of the universe. He keeps a painfully RSS/Archive-less diary on their site. It's basically the only site left in the world that I regularly check for updates, without the help of my Google Reader. Here's what he had to say yesterday about mice:

I've lived in many different rental flats in various cities over the years, and in each one I've always, sooner or later, discovered mice. Hiding behind the cooker or Fridge, behind wardrobes, or in the case of a flat Allan and I shared in Edinburgh in the late 90's, wandering around carefree in broad daylight, hanging out in-front of the stereo, generally having a good time at our expense.

Now that I own an abode, whenever I see a mouse (for if you live in any building over a hundred years old, they’re living in the walls whether you like it our not – and can always find a way into a warm house), it feels more and more like an uninvited guest than it used to. When I rented, I accepted that I shared the rent (non-financially speaking) with some mice, but now as a 'homeowner' I'm not as immune to all the psychological pitfalls as I thought I'd be. For better or for worse, I see the home as 'belonging to me/us', which is a strange confession. The property ladder. Give me a real ladder any day.

'a man can have everything he desires in his own home yet have nothing outside the door'. I think wild child beat poet hipster Gregory Corso was right on when he wrote this line down in his notepad.

Anyway, we've killed a few in the very old fashioned Grandpa Broon style non humane traps. I'm not proud about it, but despite their cute little faces, they're bullet-quick vermin with persistence. It's a myth that they like cheese though. Don't know who made that one up.

Roddy Woomble - My Secret Is My Silence

A history of near-certain disappointment hangs dark and low like a thundercloud over me whenever I approach the solo project of a musician whose band I love (I'm looking at YOU, Weiland) so when I originally heard about Roddy Woomble's solo offering My Secret Is My Silence, I took a pass. I love Idlewild too much, I thought. I can't let this get in the way.

Well, when I got my first taste of Idlewild's forthcoming release Make A New World this weekend, I could contain myself no longer. He still had plenty of good material left for the Idlewild record, I rationalized, maybe this solo thing won't be so bad. Nervously, wincingly, I pushed play.

Few things in this world are more satisfying than being surprised when you expected disappointment. The material on My Secret Is My Silence ranges from good to brilliant, and while I'll agree with Roddy's assessment that the songs "would have never lived with Idlewild," it's doing the songs and oneself a great disservice (as I admit guiltily to having done) to assume that means it's not as good.

The longer I sit here trying to say intelligent things about this record the more frustrated I'm getting, though. This is a systemic problem for me and one that I need to address, but I find it harder and harder to write about records that I love without feeling like I've already said these things about another record. Maybe it's just a matter of coming to terms with being a human Teddy Ruxpin. But I'm going to cry "Uncle" and just say this:

Realizing these songs outside of Idlewild allowed Roddy to explore his folksy side even further than in Idlewild's latest, Warnings / Promises, and clears the path for Idlewild's most rocking record in Make A New World since 100 Broken Windows*. Really, it's a very cinematic record in that, even more than much of Idlewild's very consciously Scottish rock, it SOUNDS Scottish. And not only because of accents or fiddles (though those don't hurt). You'll really have to listen for yourself. It's beautiful.

*All of which are wonderful records. Really, Idlewild's entire catalog is must-have.

(You can pre-order Idlewild's Make A New World here, as well as order Roddy's solo gem.)