It's oft said that the friendships made in college have the potential to profoundly impact the course of one's life. It's fitting then that Megan Markwick and Lily Somerville felt a kinship whilst working together on a group project during their Falmouth University days. Shortly after, the London-based duo formed Ider.
Over the last six years, Markwick and Somerville have finely-tuned their exuberant electro-pop debut, Emotional Education. Central to the record is an anxious depiction of being young in 2019; “I’m in my twenties so I panic in every way,” the duo sing on You’ve Got Your Whole Life Ahead of You.
It’s an exercise in comprehending the complexities of relationships – romantic, familial and internal – that shape our world view. Consequently, Ider speaks assuredly to the streaming generation.
Tonally, all necessary contemporary pop motifs required to garner mass-appeal are gathered. Traces of Lorde are revealed in Mirror’s clap-drum chorus while Billie Eilish’s sinister textures are apparent on Wu Baby’s distorted vocal bridge. Elsewhere, the duo channel Sigrid on Swim, a tropical arrangement that would sit nicely on a Love Island-inspired playlist.
Overall, an extremely glossy record brimming with radio-friendly songs.
