By: Jesse Striewski
I’m admittedly late in checking out this latest EP from legendary rocker Billy Idol (his first collection of new music in seven years), and even debated if I should still review something as “old” as it is (it dropped a whopping month and a half ago this past September!). But I was so glad I decided to still give it a listen once I heard how surprisingly good it is. It also helps that Idol is once again joined by longtime guitarist/companion Steve Stevens.
Sure, at just four songs, The Roadside EP is no doubt a short listen. But each song has its own place, starting with the first single, “Bitter Taste.” Inspired by Idol’s near-death motorcycle accident he track is an effective haunting number that’s accentuated with a black and white music video, which gives off a neo-noir type of vibe. I quickly feel in love with the song, and legitimately couldn’t wait to hear what else was in store.
“Rita Hayworth” echoes back to Idol’s early Generation X days, while “U Don’t Have to Kiss Me Like That” maintains that cool swagger found on previous hits like 1990’s “Cradle of Love.” Everything is finally book-ended neatly with “Baby Put Your Clothes Back On,” another banger, as they say in Idol’s homeland.
It’s both tragic and frustrating that the format of modern radio stations is to play a classic artist’s “hits” into the ground on a daily basis, while ignoring any and all new material they release; this is the reason why ignorance runs so rampant among “fans.” Far too often they have no idea that artists like Billy Idol are still even releasing new music based on what’s being presented ted to them, causing them to not know any better (of course there is always the option of seeking out the information themselves, but perhaps lack the motivation to do so). Sadly, there’s so much great music that continues to get overlooked out there on a yearly basis; do yourself a favor, and don’t let this be another case of that.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
