Most albums feel like a performance meant for the stage, but indie folk-rock record ‘The World Inside’ by the Iddy Biddies gives you a glimpse into what’s happening behind the curtains.
Led by Gene Wallenstein, this is the band’s sophomore album and features eleven songs. Wallenstein’s clever lyricism explores the elaborate show we put on for others versus how we feel when we’re alone. The soundscape can broadly be divided into three different sonic personalities: the “exterior” characterised by big choruses and sunny melodies, the “in-between” with moody, almost jagged sounds, and the “interior” which are stripped back and quieter. Just like the messy landscape of our minds, the tracks on the ‘The World Inside’ oscillate between these moods.
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The “exterior” songs that represent the “show” we put up in public. Songs like ‘It’s Just A Show’, ‘Follow You Anywhere’, and ‘Believers’ all have high energy, shimmering arrangements with bright guitars and vocal harmonies. ‘It’s Just A Show’ immediately establishes the core themes right off the bat; its driving beat and vibrant melody feel like a “curtain up” moment, capturing the “performance” we often have to do. ‘Fortunate Sons’, one of the strongest tracks, is a high-energy folk-rock song that further expands on this. While other songs here keep up the “mask,” this track represents it falling away, turning into a critique of having to maintain facades.
On the other side of the curtain, we have the “interior” songs which use minimal, stripped-down production to highlight our private reality. The eponymous title track, ‘The World Inside’, is the emotional core of the album. Unfiltered vocals layered over simple guitars highlight the vulnerability of the message. However, its simplicity is not to be confused with predictability; the melody takes refreshing, unexpected twists. ‘Love Wonders Why’ moves away from bright pop melodies toward mellow, jazz-influenced chords to describe the weariness of heartbreak.
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The “in-between” songs portray the constant shift between one’s public persona and the true self beneath. These tracks use echoing guitars and buzzy basslines to create psychedelic soundscapes. ‘Mr. September’ captures the feeling of social disorientation with shifting beats and trumpet solos that create a surreal vibe. Similarly, the echoing guitars and reverb in ‘Strange World’ create a sense of “drifting,” blurring the lines between the public and private.
‘The World Inside’ is an album that chronicles the human experience of being perceived and perceiving the outside world and the world within ourselves. It’s a sonic representation of masks we either wear or break down. The Iddy Biddies’ ability to sculpt these different states is what makes the album work; it is a masterclass in the dichotomy of self. The album ultimately reminds us that when the curtains close, there’s a rich world inside all of us.
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