CD Review: Billy Idol

The first album in nine years from Billy Idol might not hit the highs that made him a star in the 1980s, yet Kings & Queens Of The Underground is an interesting study in genre blending that, somehow, doesn't come across as an exercise in mimicking the latest musical trends.

Sure, he opens with a couple of tracks that suggest he's taken notes while at a Panic! At the Disco concert, but the mix of New Wave-ish electronic pulses and stabs of guitar reveal Idol and his long-time collaborator, guitar ace Steve Stevens, might still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

 

 

• Billy Idol. Kings & Queens Of The Underground. BFI Records 
• 3 stars (out of five)  
• Single download: Nothing To Fear 
• For those who like: The Cars meet The Killer