--Ada Wofford
----Released 25 September 2020 on Partisan Records
In an NME interview Idles proclaimed that they set out to create the greatest rock album of all time with their 3rd LP, Ultra Mono. They failed to do that. But what they did do is create the greatest guitar record in recent memory.
This review is going to serve two purposes: 1) I'm going to review the album (duh) and 2) I'm going to use this as an opportunity to tell you why music journalism, particularly Pitchfork, is in dire need of reformation. Pitchfork gave Ultra Mono a 5.5 and instead of publishing a review of the album, writer Jazz Monroe went on a tirade about "necessary art" and the political stance of the band and of their lyrics. The article only mentions the music once, making a few dull comparisons and describing the arrangements as such:
Throughout the record, promising flickers of invention—jittery electronics here, an elephantine squeal there—invariably leak into choruses built on mechanical, double-time strumming, with Talbot roaring indignantly over the top.
Those "jittery electronics" are actually some of the coolest guitar sounds I've ever heard put to tape. Guitarists Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan have been documenting their unique approach to guitar in a YouTube show titled, Genks. They coined the term "genk" as a sort of onomatopoeia that references the type of sounds the pair frequently deploy. But Jazz Monroe doesn't mention this. Instead, Monroe is satisfied to make unsolicited claims about "necessary art," citing novelist Zadie Smith's adage that, “The people sometimes demand change. They almost never demand art.” Then going on to assert that, "Essential workers are necessary. Art is more like baking a sourdough loaf: something to do with our long days." Why is someone with such a low opinion of the importance of art even working as a critic? A loaf of bread is necessary, it's food, it sustains you—And art is no different.
This is the issue with music journalism. There is no attention paid to the actual music; to the arrangements, the technique, the tones, the structure, the production. There is only rambling political diatribes and shallow analyses of lyrics. Monroe doesn't mention the fact that Idles made this record with help from hip-hop producer Kenny Beats, giving the album a huge, bombastic sound not typically found on rock records. Monroe fails to mention the brute force of the bass playing in album opener, "War," which manages to rival the heaviest moments of Metz. Monroe doesn't mention the frenzied friction of guitar strings being bent to their limit and sounding like an airplane divebombing from forty-thousand fucking feet.
This album sounds incredible. That synth line you hear in the opening of "Grounds" is actually a guitar riff. Bowen and Kiernan have lovingly and obsessively crafted some of the most unique guitar tones and managed to arrange them in a way that is musical, complex, and satisfying. They crafted these sounds with such deftness that non-players will just assume it's some studio trickery and not pay attention to them. Well, pay attention! Try to ignore Talbot's incessant shouting and listen to the sounds on this record. They're amazing.
This brings me to my one criticism of the album. I'm a huge fan of Talbot but he's really starting to appear like a one-trick pony. Pretty much every chorus is the same thing; fast, heavy guitars and Talbot screaming a handful of words and making them stretch as long as possible. Though, I suppose I shouldn't place the blame solely on Talbot's shoulders; the band could start doing something different in the choruses as well.
The album takes a really interesting turn at the end. The tracks "Reigns" and "The Lover" have this 80s Blade Runner type feel to them and this is made all the more impressive when you remember that guitars are making all of that retro-futuristic atmosphere. The snare on these tracks is particularly 80s sounding, drenched in gated reverb, but somehow, they make it all work. That is, until they reach the chorus—The chorus of "Reign" is the same chorus you hear in basically every other song on the album. "The Lover" departs from this somewhat but it's somehow even weaker than the default chorus.
"A Hymn" might be the best song on the album precisely because it doesn't have a chorus to bring it down. It's a slow, melancholic swell that never really reaches its apex, making the journey feel all the more somber. Again, the guitar tones on this song are amazing. Because the track is so slow and somber, it might turn off a lot of fans, but I encourage you to give this track a chance. It really grew on me over the past few weeks and I'd like to see Idles do more of this sort of thing in the future.
Overall, Ultra Mono is a solid album. Maybe you don't like how political they are, maybe you think some of the lyrics are cheesy, whatever—Just ignore that and listen to the actual music. Listen to the incredible guitar tones, the driving bass lines, and the massive drums. Play it loud and appreciate how huge this album sounds. While it's not my favorite Idles album to sing along to, I truly believe that this the best guitar album in recent memory. Perhaps one of the best guitar albums of all time. Every guitar player should listen to it.
Watch the video for "A Hymn" below:
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