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July 24-30, 2003 music Idle PleasuresRock/pop review Give Roddy Woomble the benefit of the doubt. You can't fault a man for his voice. Though it's futile to fight comparisons to mid-'80s Michael Stipe's pipes, the Idlewild singer's slightly nasal burr doesn't share the young Stipe's tendency to mumble. Likewise, Woomble, an art-school dropout like Stipe, comes by his existential musings honestly. And his band of Scots has done its homework, covering Gang of Four's "I Found That Essence Rare" and beefing up The Smiths' sound without killing their craftsmanship. Nearing the end of a 10-month tour in support of The Remote Part (Capitol), Idlewild rallied with passion and precision but seemed a little drained by the experience. Rod Jones' splits bookended the show, but the guitarist's enthusiasm waned between "Listen to What You've Got" and the excellent "Film for the Future." Fortunately, the songs are strong enough to withstand his neglect; there wasn't a loser in the bunch. "Little Discourage" provided the necessary kick to make the rest tumble into place. Muscular run-throughs of "These Wooden Ideas" and "Roseability" set the tone; lighter touches were rare, but "Live in a Hiding Place" and "Blues Run the Game" more than sufficed. The solid but rote performance made room for small pleasures like the sweet harmonies of "You Held the World in Your Arms," the low-end rumble of "A Modern Way of Letting Go" and the gentle feedback of "In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction," which ended the main set. Special thanks to the unnamed New York airport geek who picked locals Laguardia to open in a practical application of an SAT-worthy analogy: Laguardia is to Idlewild as LaGuardia Airport is to Idlewild International Airport (now known as JFK): smaller but more convenient. 
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