Album Review: New IDLES record Ultra Mono cements legacy
Those familiar with Bristol, England may know the city is renowned for its flourishing music and street art scenes. The town also home to what might be the most socially-conscious, politically-aware rock band on the planet, IDLES. Many have referred to the group as hardcore punks, but they do not see themselves as exclusively punk, but something more versatile and fluid. On September 26, the quintet released their third studio release, Ultra Mono. It is obvious from the opening track, that the band is as pissed off and motivated as ever.
The LP opens with “War,” a locomotive of a rallying cry for the anti-war effort. This is what you’d expect from an act billed as the “most exciting rock band actively touring.”
“Grounds” is the inspirational standout on the album. Lead vocalist, Joe Talbot can be heard intoning the sentiment, “Do you hear that thunder? That’s the sound of strength in numbers.” The Bristol five-piece offer fans an outlet for the tension and frustration folks are feeling at a time when those emotions are compounded for artists due to idle hands in need of something to do.
With “Model Village,” Talbot rails against fascism and racism present in what some superficially view as a perfect society. The song, “Ne Touche Pas Moi” is an ode to the rights of one’s own body and personal space, howling “consent.” There is certainly not a gram of vitriol lost in IDLES’ presentation of this track.
With Ultra Mono, IDLES display creative growth in the context of an environment that offers the band fertile ground to fashion heavy, thought-provoking material. The quintet has consistently thrived on concepts revolving around awareness of individual rights, empathy for fellow humans, and how the powers that be can create a world that intends to exclude said vital concepts.
The high-octane “Kill Them Will Kindness” offers an ironic conveyance of the concept of being kind and polite to a fault. While performing at Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2019, Talbot addressed a group of moshers in the crowd. “…not everyone may want to push around,” he said. Many in the crowd appreciated his acknowledgment.
With such a volume of recent releases which express similar sentiments, it’s easy to become desensitized, and begin brushing off such expressions and empty gestures. Musicians are speaking their minds, and emoting on our behalf. Motivation from an external and emotional source like IDLES can lead to significant awareness and even action against public policies that benefit the most vulnerable of our people.
Ultra Mono is a sonic sledgehammer, reminding us that IDLES might be Britain’s most necessary band. Listeners agree, signaling the band’s wide appeal with an upwardly trending ranking of 54 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums list.
If there is still any doubt that the volatile, current geo-political scenario is offering IDLES enough creative motivation, the word is they’ve already begun work on their next album. Meanwhile grab your copy of Ultra Mono here.
IDLES:
Joe Talbot -Vocals
Adam Devonshire -Bass
Mark Bowen -Guitar
Lee Kiernen -Guitar
John Beavis -Drums
Featured photo: Dena Flows
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