Ultra Mono by Idles
It’s amazing to think that Idles are thought of as a new band whereas they’ve actually been around for over a decade. Their brand of media-friendly post-punk has seen the Bristolians build steadily before going stratospheric a couple of years ago.
Ultra Mono is the next piece in the jigsaw fitting perfectly with previous work while showing a bit more of what the band could finally become. The music is still raw but has a maturity to it in terms of writing and also the vocals. Polished might be going too far. The word would certainly scare fans to death.
This is a record that sits comfortably in between garage punk and indie rock. It has some clever deft touches that will please listeners wanting something less than basic.
Make no mistake though Ultra Mono isn’t parent-friendly. It’s urgent and dialed into the ever angry youth of a nation. Just when we thought snot rock had been gentrified Idles have come along and stuck a big welcome middle finger up to…. Well, just about everything.
