IDLES - Joy as an Act of Resistance (2018)

The second effort by Bristol “not a f*cking punk band” IDLES, Joy as an Act of Resistance is a shining example of what any follow up can and should be, as it maintains the stylistic foundations that made 2017’s Brutalism what it is, while also building upon these foundations and allowing a broader stylistic range within the confines of the 12 songs present on the 2018 release. The one element that remains the same is, for me, what makes IDLES one of the most exciting bands coming up in today’s musical landscape, and that is vocalist and songwriter Joe Talbot’s visceral lyricism. It is the very essence of both Brutalism and Joy as an Act of Resistance, it remains at the core of the distinctive IDLES sound, it drives their entire catalogue and when this album is looked back upon in 40 years (much like the Pistols’ God Save The Queen), it will be regarded, quite rightly, as a work that perfectly encapsulates the state of affairs, it will provide a glimpse into a single political moment, forged by everything that has come before, and not yet aware of what is to follow, and that is what makes not just Joy as an Act of Resistance special, but what makes IDLES such an exciting prospect. The album’s second track, Never Fight a Man with a Perm is one of a few standout moments, with its roaring cries of “concrete to leather” in the chorus and its unrelenting and systematic attack on reality TV culture, it certainly kicks the tempo and the raw aggression up a gear. Then there is Great, possibly the moment that captures the state of affairs in Britain unlike any other track on this album, it is real, it is relevant, and it is now. Sonically, Joy does not let up at any point, feeling at times like the cries of a man who can take no more and must be heard, ranting and raving until he can cry no more. The closing track, Rottweiler is an attack on red-top tabloids in the UK and at no other point on the album does Talbot’s anger feel more visceral. IDLES are a band that are very much a product of now, and to pass up on an opportunity to listen to their music or to see them live would, in my eyes, definitely be a regrettable decision.