Album Review IDLES - Brutalism

Having earned themselves a fair amount of notoriety with their blistering energy and Great British Bake Off-bashing lyrics, IDLES have already cemented themselves as a force to be reckoned with. With the release of their debut full-length, the Bristol outfit are giving 2017 the kick up the arse it desperately needs.

“How many optimists does it take to change a lightbulb?” Joseph Talbot challenges on ‘White Privilege’. “None, their butler changes the lightbulb,” he answers instantly. “Always poor, never bored.” Disillusioned with the world around them, on ‘Brutalism’ IDLES set their own status quo. With a nudge, a wink, and a sly smirk, the band blur a blunt honesty with a brilliant sense of humour, poking fun at the world until it stands up and fights back.

Lyrics are short and to the point, clawing their way into the consciousness with an unshakable resolve. “I know nothing, I’m just sitting here looking at pretty colours,” Joseph rasps on ‘Mother’, seething against the apathetic in a rambunctious call to arms. A cry for action is something that rings clear through a lot of their music - given the state of the political climate that currently surrounds us, it’s a voice that very much needs heeding.

Raging at full throttle, IDLES’ debut is as dirty as it is messy. An exhilarating escape along frenzied rhythms and powerhouse rhythms with a ferocious commentary for guidance, ‘Brutalism’ is as vital as it is volatile.