Bristol punk rockers IDLES had carved out a reputation as an acerbic and utterly compelling live act with support slots for the likes of the Foo Fighters and The Maccabees under their belts before their second album, 2018’s Joy As An Act Of Resistance, achieved the remarkable feat of cracking the top 5 of the UK’s album charts, transforming the band into Brit Award and Mercury Prize nominees almost overnight.

And with good reason. Joy As An Act Of Resistance became an instant classic, a record that tackled big themes in a delicate way while snarling vocals, screaming guitars and pounding drums delivered their message with a winning combination of ferocity and melody. If it didn’t quite make IDLES household names, it at least ushered them in the garden gate.

Ultra Mono though trades a lot of the subtlety of its predecessor for angry astonishment, and in that sense, it’s the perfect album for our baffling times. But where IDLES wove Streets-esque narratives previously, they now hammer their message home without compromise. Take Carcinogenic, for example, where frontman Joe Talbot sings in his distinctive drawl: “Where were you when the ship sank? / Probably not queueing for food banks / Probably waving your Union Jack / Probably rallying for new tanks / Probably to blow up the ice caps / Because the lunatics have taken over the asylum”. Or on Reigns, where he rages: “How does it feel to have / Shanked the working classes into dust?” It may not be delicate, but as polemics go, it’s highly effective.

Such straightforwardness might not endear them to everyone, but as they reflect on Grounds, “Not a single thing has ever been mended / By you standing there and saying you’re offended”. Musically this new LP is a step forward too. There’s a wide range of collaborators on the record, including, you might be surprised to hear, Jamie Cullum, and the resulting edges are far broader, taking the band at times into new territory while retaining their distinctive sharpness throughout.

Model Village is perhaps the quintessential Ultra Mono track. It makes no attempt to disguise its message, brimming instead with exasperation, frustration, and anthemic urgency that will almost certainly carry IDLES to even greater heights.

Watch the official video for Model Village here.

Ultra Mono tracklist:

1. War

2. Grounds

3. Mr. Motivator

4. Anxiety

5. Kill Them With Kindness

6. Model Village

7. Ne Touche Pas Moi

8. Carcinogenic

9. Reigns

10. The Lover

11. A Hymn

12. Danke

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.