Album Review: Billy Idol - Kings And Queens Of The Underground

What should an Idol album sound like in 2014? Ideally a mix of the raw punk energy of Generation X with the pop hooks and attitude of his ‘80s success/excess. Disappointingly it’s an over-produced record that tries to sound modern and only fleetingly dials into his strengths like the Rebel Yell-aping Postcards From The Past. You can’t fault the honesty of Idol’s nostalgic lyrics but they’re mostly clumsy, cliched and overwrought. The autobiographical nature of the songs tie in to his new self-penned book – hopefully a more rewarding experience than this album.