''Ultra Mono'' is the third studio album by British
rock band
Idles
Idles are an English post-punk band formed in Bristol in 2009. The band consists of Adam Devonshire (bass), Joe Talbot (singer), Joe Talbot (vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Lee Kiernan (guitar), and Jon Beavis (drums).
After spending eight yea ...
, released on 25 September 2020 by
Partisan Records
Partisan Records is an independent record label with offices in London, Berlin, and Los Angeles, as well as in New York City, where the company was co-founded in 2007 by Tim Putnam and Ian Wheeler. The label, initially run out of Putnam's South B ...
.
Following on from their previous album ''
Joy as an Act of Resistance'', the album further explores themes established in the band's previous works such as critique of capitalism, revolution, class struggle, mental health and toxic masculinity, as well as the positive and negative aspects of the band's newfound fame.
The record was supported by five singles prior to its release, the first of which was the promotional single "Mr. Motivator", released on 19 May 2020. This was followed by the lead single "Grounds" on 16 June 2020, "A Hymn" on 14 July 2020, "Model Village" on 11 August 2020 and "War" which coincided with the release of the album on 25 September 2020.
Background and production
Following the release and success of their 2018 album ''
Joy as an Act of Resistance'', Idles received mainstream attention and toured extensively in support of it. The band confirmed in an Instagram post in January 2019 that they were writing new music and in March, debuted a new song called "War" during an exclusive show for
Dr. Martens.
Another new song, "Grounds", was debuted in
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
during the band's UK tour in December 2019. Both songs were played at the band's final show of the tour at
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is an entertainment and sports venue in North London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. A listed building, Grade II listed building, it is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and th ...
alongside another new track called "Danke".
In an interview with ''
DIY'' following the album's announcement in June 2020, lead singer
Joe Talbot opened up about the themes and inspiration behind the album, saying: "Emotionally I'm not healed, I'm healing and that's what's on the record. So this one is about processing and finding pragmatic ways of moving forward, and from your reaction to that trauma, you build something concise and beautiful (...) the songs are all projections of inner workings, I'm not preaching or telling anyone else what to do. I'm showing people what I'm doing to become a better person in the long run – no, not better, but a more productive person."
''Ultra Mono'' was recorded throughout 2019 and the band documented the process, intermittently sharing images of themselves on social media in the studio throughout the year, with one post teasing an appearance from
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is an English comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ...
. In an interview with
Zane Lowe
Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...
in December 2019, Talbot confirmed that they had finished recording the album and that it was being mixed. The band worked with returning ''Joy'' producers
Nick Launay
Nicolas Launay (born 5 March 1960) is an English record producer, composer and recording engineer, currently residing in Los Angeles, CA. He is one of the most sought after record producers in the world due to his success with recent albums b ...
and Adam ‘Atom’ Greenspan on the album, with additional programming provided by
Kenny Beats and additional guest appearances from
Jehnny Beth,
David Yow
David Lambeth Yow (; born August 2, 1960) is an American musician and actor born in Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas, Nevada and best known as the vocalist for the noise rock bands Scratch Acid and the Jesus Lizard. Yow's debut solo album, ''Tonight ...
and
Jamie Cullum
Jamie Paul Joseph Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, pianist, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He h ...
.
Release and promotion
On 19 May 2020, Idles released "Mr. Motivator" as a promotional single from the album. This was preceded by a light-hearted post on the band's Instagram account on 15 May which invited their audience to "get physical with Dev," featuring bassist Adam Devonshire working out and quoting lyrics from the song. In keeping with the announcement's theme, the song's music video featured a montage of fan-submitted workout clips.
On 16 June 2020, Joe Talbot announced ''Ultra Mono'' and its release date on
Steve Lamacq’s Radio 6 show, alongside the premiere of its lead single "Grounds".
Following this, the band released a further two singles, "A Hymn" and "Model Village" on 14 July 2020 and 11 August 2020 respectively. A fifth single, "Reigns", was initially scheduled to be released on 8 September. However, a poll was conducted by a member of the band's management in the Facebook fan group, the "AF Gang", asking whether fans wanted to hear the new song or wait for the album. Ultimately, it was decided that the band would not release any more tracks ahead of the album, with the song's music video eventually being released on 12 January 2021.
On 24 August 2020, the band announced an 11 date tour of the UK and Ireland in support of the album, set to take place from May to June 2021. The tour was met with huge demand, resulting in a further 6 dates being added, though these dates were later postponed to January 2022 due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. In addition to this, the band performed three "Lock-In" sets at
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, London, Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of ...
which were livestreamed on 29 and 30 August 2020, during which they played new material from the upcoming album, as well as songs from previous albums ''
Joy'' and ''
Brutalism'' and covers of songs by
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1998. The band is composed of lead singer and primary songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr., Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikola ...
and
Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
.
On 21 September 2020, the band announced plans for a tour of intimate instore performances in support of the album across the UK beginning in April 2021, which was later pushed back to September 2021.
''Ultra Mono'' was released on 25 September 2020, accompanied by the music video for "War", the opening track on the album. Following the album's release, "Kill Them With Kindness" was released as a single alongside its music video on 3 December 2020.
Reception
''Ultra Mono'' received generally positive reviews upon release, with
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
awarding the album an aggregated score of 76 out of 100 based on 22 reviews, 19 of which were positive.
''
Louder Than War''s John Robb declared ''Ultra Mono'' to be "the album of
dles'career" in a 10 out of 10 review, praising the album's themes, Launay's production and the band's performances throughout, concluding that "it's a wonderful record. It makes you dance, think, feel wild and gentle, sing and shout and want to change the world whilst embracing everyone you can in a physically socially distanced but mentally very socially attached kind of way."
Jordan Bassett of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' was similarly impressed with the album, describing it as "a breakneck ride that roars through sarcasm, defiance, compassion and controversy."
''
Q''s Dorian Lynskey wrote that the album was "the sound of a band becoming ever more defiantly themselves", finding it "more adamantly political" and complimenting its "bludgeoning drums, scowling bass... great, slab like riffs" and the "hysterical urgency" permeating the track listing. Despite finding some of the lyrics to be crude and condescending, Lysnkey eventually stated that the record's "strengths are inseparable from its flaws", concluding that "IDLES' brute-force catharsis neither requires nor rewards subtlety... they are they. Take them or leave them."
Tom Hull said that while the early comparisons of Idles to
The Clash
The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
were "ridiculous" as the former lacks "both the early punk fury and the later pop knack", the band nonetheless achieves "a middle line, which supports today's fire and fury."
Writing for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, Liam Martin was more reserved when appraising the album. Comparing it unfavourably to the band's previous albums, Martin stated that "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."
[ Conversely, JR Moores was much less favourable in his review for '']The Quietus
''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics.
Content
''The Quietu ...
'', criticising the lyrics and a perceived misuse of the guest musicians featured on the record, classifying it as a "by-numbers rock plod", before rounding out his review with "three albums in and the hype has died down. The ideas are drying up. The lack of substance is wholly exposed." Jazz Monroe also criticised the album in a review for ''Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'', claiming "''Ultra Mono'' charges into the discourse like a hobbyist at a rally. It’s not listening, just shouting. Not radical but restless. Not bad, just unnecessary."
Year-end lists
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
Idles
* Joe Talbot – lead vocals
*Adam Devonshire – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Mark Bowen – lead guitar, production
*Jon Beavis – drums
*Lee Kiernan – rhythm guitar
Additional musicians
* Kenny Beats – programming
* Jehnny Beth – vocals (track 7)
*Jamie Cullum
Jamie Paul Joseph Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, pianist, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He h ...
– piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
(track 5)
*Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is an English comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ...
– backing vocals (track 2)
*Colin Webster – saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
(tracks 1-3, 9-10)
*David Yow
David Lambeth Yow (; born August 2, 1960) is an American musician and actor born in Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas, Nevada and best known as the vocalist for the noise rock bands Scratch Acid and the Jesus Lizard. Yow's debut solo album, ''Tonight ...
– backing vocals (tracks 1, 4, 5, 10)
Production
*Adam Greenspan – production, engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
, mixing
*Nick Launay
Nicolas Launay (born 5 March 1960) is an English record producer, composer and recording engineer, currently residing in Los Angeles, CA. He is one of the most sought after record producers in the world due to his success with recent albums b ...
– production, engineering, mixing
*Bernie Grundman
Bernie Grundman (born 16 December 1943, Minneapolis) is an American audio engineer.
He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chr ...
– mastering
Additional personnel
*Andrew Bourne – logo
*Tom Ham – photography
Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...
*Russell Oliver – artwork
A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...
(painting
Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
)
*Nigel Talbot – artwork (sculpture
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
)
Charts
Certifications
References
{{Authority control
2020 albums
Idles (band) albums
Partisan Records albums