Mandy, Indiana - URGH

Channelling a bristling onslaught of rage against a medley of modern-day social injustices - from references to the Gaza genocide in the searing nu metal frenzy of ‘ist halt so’, to a detailed unburdening of rape-induced trauma on ‘Magazine’ - Valentine Caulfield’s fervent vocal distortions sting like isopropyl alcohol on a fresh, fleshy open wound. In short, on second full-length ‘URGH’, Mandy, Indiana are no less compromising, both thematically and texturally.

Building on the harsh, techno-charged industrial abrasions that saw their debut draw comparisons to the likes of Model/Actriz or Gilla Band, here the Manchester-via-Berlin group dually dip their toe into a new territory of hip-hop adjacent structures, even enlisting verses from alt rap legend billy woods on standout ‘Sicko!’. A transmutational pastiche of sweltering percussive contrasts, this record is markedly more dissonant than its predecessor, swapping out pensive synthwave interludes for the disfigured jerk rap maximalism of opener ‘Sevastopol’, or the blood curdling, siren-like drones of ‘A Brighter Tomorrow’. Powered by a fight or flight propulsion, ‘URGH’ sees Mandy, Indiana once again defy any pigeonholing, demonstrating an unabashed growth that still stays true to its insurgent roots.