IDLES have made their reputation with visceral live shows and vitriolic albums of toxic masculinity-dismantling punk-rock, of which a third record will be released this September 25th.
Ultra Mono is out on Partisan Records on that date, and the record, a followup to 2018’s Joy As An Act Of Resistance was made in Paris with Nick Launay and Adam ‘Atom’ Greenspan and interestingly, hip-hop leaning Kenny Beats providing additional programming and the PR says it’s constructed like a hip-hop record. Guests include Jehnny Beth (Savages), Warren Ellis (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), Jamie Cullum and David Yow.
‘Grounds’ is the song and video we get today as a preview which singer Joe Talbot says:
We wanted to write a song that embodied self-belief, and gave us self-belief – a counter-punch to all the doubt we build up from all the noise we so easily let in. We wanted to make the sound of our own hearts’ marching band, armed with a jack hammer and a smile. We wanted to make the sound of our engine starting. So we did. Thank you.”
The phrase “momentary acceptance of the self” serves as spiritual guide and mantra on the new album and you can read, Talbot‘s thoughts on that in an essay printed inside the album’s physical packaging.
“The album is a big fuck off ox that carries us through the
sludge and doubt and back-handed fuckery”
The band will play 3 ticketed live streamed shows in late August from a well-known studio space and have pre-orders for the album and gigs on their site.
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 (feat. Jehnny Beth)
8. Carcinogenic
9. Reigns
10. The Lover
11. A Hymn
12. Danke
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
