The pot shots frequently aimed at Idles in the past-that their politics feel performative that their hoarse-throated throttle is too, well, ultra-mono-aren’t so easily leveled here. If Ultra Mono felt like the work of someone who’d spent a little too much time reading their own press, Crawler, the band’s fourth album, sounds like they’re genuinely heeding it. Answering accusations of “ sloganeering” with yet more sloganeering, however ironic, proved to be less of a defense strategy than a self-fulfilling prophecy. Motivator,” after spouting off a series of over-the-top lines about his limitless, system-smashing bravado. On Ultra Mono, Talbot devoted a fair amount of lyrical real estate to baiting his haters: “How do you like them clichés,” he snorted on “Mr. ![]() However, unlike those spiritual forebears, Idles can be burdened by a self-awareness that verges on self-defeating. And in true Strummer/Bono/Vedder fashion, frontman Joe Talbot is liable to stick his neck out further than Idles’ more cryptically cantankerous peers, even at the risk of landing in a guillotine. ![]() Idles are to 2020s DIY-core what the Clash were to punk, what U2 were to ‘80s post-punk, and what Pearl Jam were to grunge-the earnest, ambitious idealists whose credentials are constantly being called into question. 1 debut on the UK charts thrust Idles to the premium crowdsurfer position atop the overflowing circle pit that is the current British post-post-post-punk scene, but the Bristol band truly belong to a more storied lineage.
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