Ultra Mono
Twelve tracks of brickwalled, hip-hop-influenced post-punk. A bludgeoning, highly compressed assault of radical empathy, mechanical grooves, and confrontational noise.
Twelve tracks of brickwalled, hip-hop-influenced post-punk. A bludgeoning, highly compressed assault of radical empathy, mechanical grooves, and confrontational noise.
Sloganistic confrontation
Heavy, flat-lined snare hits drive straight through the chest like a pneumatic drill, leaving no room to breathe. These songs trade their earlier jagged edges for a dense, mechanical wall of sound that feels like concrete setting in real time. It is a relentless, claustrophobic squeeze designed to force you awake.
The delivery pushes intense vocals to a fever pitch, transforming the frontman's voice into a series of barked, street-corner mantras that feel less like sung melodies and more like a desperate, physical confrontation.
While critics broadly appreciated Ultra Mono for its potent energy and compassionate, politically charged songwriting, some felt the album's blunt execution led to an uneven experience. For many reviewers, the record's defiant charm was occasionally offset by a lack of the focus and nuance that characterized the band's earlier work.
“The record sounds immense, driving the already massive IDLES sound to the next level”Read review
“Three albums in and the hype has died down. The ideas are drying up. The lack of substance is wholly exposed”Read review
“The Bristol punk band’s third album goes for fist-in-the-air righteousness but stumbles over itself at nearly every turn, resulting in a broad and unfocused attempt to speak to the moment”Read review
“IDLES return houses some of their most essential material, and a distinct lack of energy”Read review
“The Bristol punks’ third album is a juggernaut that roars through sarcasm, defiance, compassion and controversy. It’s a bumpy ride, but one worth taking”Read review
“It’s unsubtle and it’s inconsistent, but Ultra Mono has an awkward frankness to it that isn’t entirely without charm”Read review
“While not their best work, ‘Ultra Mono’ takes many leaps forward in terms of songwriting and tunecraft, while blowing a few kisses at their detractors”Read review
“They’re not about to incite a revolution, but Ultra Mono encourages people to throw a punch in the right direction”Read review
“On their new album, Ultra Mono, IDLES tackle both the troubling world around them and the dissenters that want to bring them down”
“An album of principled, shit-kicking political anthems”Read review
“It could be the most vital album we’ll hear all 2020”Read review
“Without applying any analysis, there is much to enjoy here; their raucous energy shines just as bright, but underneath the surface Ultra Mono lacks the sparkle that made their first two records truly special”Read review
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