Ultra Mono

Description

If "Joy As An Act Of Resistance" was intended to detail the band's manifesto, the highly anticipated third album from the group, "Ultra Mono," is the sound of IDLES heading to the front lines for those principles, battering ram in hand. Musically constructed to capture the feel of a hip-hop album (Kenny Beats also contributed programming on several tracks), the songs have a double meaning, mixing vitriolic sneers with direct social commentary on the band's past work. Not far beneath the surface of their self-proclaimed slogan lies a deeply complex and brutally relevant album that chews up clichés and spits them out as great art for the masses. Active presence and self-acceptance are also at the heart of "Ultra Mono," with most of the songs written in the recording studio, and the phrase "I am I" serving as a lyrical and spiritual mantra. Ultimately, "Ultra Mono" is a celebration of community, the one that IDLES has strived to build since their inception, to form something greater than themselves. As their audience grows, initially drawn by a sense of not belonging, they collectively create a diverse congregation of people that offers each of them their place.