Pull the Rope, the new album by Ibibio Sound Machine, presents the band led by Eno Williams and Max Grunhard in a new light. The hope, joy, and sex appeal of their music are still present, but by further sharpening the edge of their 2022 acclaimed album Electricity, the connection they seek to establish has shifted from the sunny vibe of a festival to that of a dance club where one sweats all night long. They recorded Pull the Rope with producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) in just two weeks. Rather than being recorded with the whole band in the room, Pull the Rope was sculpted, with elements added and shaped by Eno, Max, and Ross along the way. As a result, Pull the Rope is an agile and sleek machine, with Eno's voice and PK Ambrose's throbbing bass driving through a kaleidoscopic range of house, post-punk, funk, afrobeat, and disco, from bangers to ballads, making a plea for unity that starts on the dancefloor. Sound Machine has always infused its music with a political consciousness, and the light that shines in Eno Williams' singing and voice has never been more necessary. The sound of Pull the Rope, therefore, is hope in the darkness, bliss despite the gloom.