This is a series in which two of us listen to an album for the first time and chat about it as we go. These are our real first impressions, and any moments of insight are entirely coincidental.
“Alphabet”
Andrew
Always up for a cantering start
André
Crikey, vocal delivery is very IDLES
Andrew
Yeah, exactly, IDLES, Slaves is what I think of immediately
André
Lyrics too actually
Lovely snare rolls throughout this
André
Good opener!
Andrew
Yeah, it's a nice noisey brash open
“Nigel Hitter”
Andrew
Oh, that's a change of pace
Kinda groovy
André
This really reminds me of FEET, that band I went on about loads 2 years back
Yeah super groovy
André
That bass tone is strange but kinda great
This is a proper toe-tapper
Andrew
Yeah, I like all the guitar tones, it's bright. I've been nodding my head from the start of this one
Think this as a potential favourite already
André
Excellent percussion overdubs all over the place
Andrew
Lovey little percussive patters going on around my head
André
Yep haha
Andrew
In a lot of ways I'm reminded of jittery indie rock of 15 years ago
André
Yeah the guitar work especially, but more DIY
“Born in Luton”
André
Wow
Andrew
There's a lot more of that percussive rhythm going on in the background
André
The guitar work and production is pretty fucking rad
A lot to take in
Andrew
It is, yeah, it's spot on
That kind of percussive background always makes me want to mention Talking Heads
André
I can see why haha
This slower section is really nice
Andrew
Taken a dip in tempo though
Wow, what a busy track
André
3 tracks in and the songwriting is more ambitious than I thought
Andrew
I'm all for it, but there are beeps and bloops and roaring guitar
André
I kinda love the beeps and bloops lol
Andrew
Oh I totally do, yeah
Alongside these tempo shifts too
André
This is great tbh
Really builds momentum
Andrew
Yeah, it's turned into a pretty grand affair in four minutes
André
I mean, whisper it, but this is kinda the direction I wanted IDLES to try following Joy…
Andrew
Haha, what a finish
“March Day”
André
Yeah these guys really know how to get into a great groove
Andrew
It's another change of pace, and I'm once again reaching for guitar music the NME used to cover in the 00s. Y'know, when they did music 👀
André
They give a platform for Tory MP's instead now.
Quite literally
But anyway…
Andrew
Haha, March Day is a good jaunt anyway
André
I honestly didn't realise these guys were so groove-based
I'm all for it
Andrew
Well I'm certainly having fun with them.
If I'm going to nitpick, this is slightly more straight down the middle than the previous tracks
André
Maybe, nice change of pace I think. I already know I'm gonna be coming back to this.
Andrew
Yeah, I think I'll be spinning this a fair few times
“Water in the Well”
Andrew
That thudding drum and bass combo right out the gate is great
André
Oh I've heard this, it was one of the singles
Andrew
Ah okay, it's a good single choice. Very satisfying chord progression.
André
Yeah, though Snow Day was my favourite one, which is next
Andrew
And the drums seem to be kicked up a notch for me. My right ear just got pummelled haha.
André
Drumming is great so far, quite unorthodox in places
Andrew
In fact I think the kick is thumping on the right every phrase or so
Stonking final section to this track too
André
This would go down very well live
Andrew
I was just about to say that
“Snow Day”
André
I love this track. Really got my attention straight away
Andrew
I've purposely left even the singles unlistened to
Although thirty seconds in, this is shaping up to be another strong track
So it makes sense that it's a single
André
Some of the industrial noises remind me of Daughters actually
Really interesting
Andrew
Yeah, for sure, I can see that
It's a bit grimier, this
Big wall of sound
André
Oooooof this section is great
Andrew
Yeah, "oooof" is right
André
I can't get enough of this fucking drummer tbh
Andrew
I've thoroughly enjoyed the drumming thus far
Not to take away from the rest of the band
There's some cracking musicianship here
André
Yeah maybe more than I initially thought
You sometimes get the wrong impression with punk bands. Not these guys, they can fucking play
Andrew
Well punk doesn't always go hand and hand with great musicians, just a passion for what they're doing. But it seems these guys have both
This driving section towards the end is another great close to a track
André
Seems like a centrepiece of sorts, this song. Very good
“Human, for a Minute”
Andrew
That's an earthy bassline
André
Slower, but still groovy
How you feeling about the vocals?
Andrew
Was just about to mention the vocals, he's got a range of styles
I think as a respite from the rest of the tracklist thus far, these softer, spoken vocals fit well with the rest of the track
I'm glad he mixes it up though
André
It's quite low in the mix a lot of the time. Allows everything else to shine
Andrew
Yeah, although being lower in the mix, they have the potential to be missed, I've been enjoying the instrumentals
André
Agree on all counts
This one is a nice change from the frantic nature of previous songs
Andrew
I'll sound like a broken record about the ending, I'll say it differently, they build and layer tracks well
“Great Dog”
Andrew
Certainly another change of pace
André
Here we go then
Andrew
Ah the vocals are getting a bit more of an outing eh?
André
This is more of what I expected initially
Andrew
I wouldn't have been upset if this was it. i too was expecting this noisey, raucous, manic pace
André
Haha, this is ace
Andrew
Type of thing that slaps a smile on my face. Imagine watching that live
“6/1”
André
That guitar has my attention already
Andrew
Yeah, me too, some interesting crossing rhythms. That'll always hold my attention
André
Gonna mention drums again, my word
Andrew
Agreed, it's that agitated, twitching drum line
André
Yeah perfectly put
We need to make a point of catching these live when normality returns
I've heard brilliant things already
Andrew
The back half of this albums puts me into a sweaty gig next to someone that's spilt multiple pints over themselves
And not giving a shit
André
Haha
“Harsh Degrees”
Andrew
Well that was a thump
André
Yeah this is proper punk momentum now. I'm all for it!
Backend of the album feels like a build-up to a big crash
Andrew
Yes, I wonder how they'll close
I swear I'm listening to something other than the drums, but there's a kind of a 3 over 4 rhythm going somewhere in there that's scratching an itch
André
I am enjoying this.
Quite a bit
Andrew
The guitars are doing a stellar job here
André
Love how the guitars offer this weird computer-malfunction type of texture
Andrew
Yeah, very into the distorted fuzz
“Station Wagon”
André
Here we go, closing track
Andrew
Well that's a moody, atmospheric start
Maybe the crash happened and this is the comedown?
André
Yep
Love the mellow vibe
Andrew
I'm in suspense, but maybe I should be in reflection
Maybe this is falling out of the sweaty gig
It's a long closer though, so maybe it's ramping up
André
Nice backing vocals
Makes a change from the shouts and screams previously haha
Andrew
Yeah, this is similar to the respite we got in Human, for a Minute
André
Piano!
Andrew
Have we had anything besides a standard guitar band instrumentation before now? The piano is certainly notable
André
I don't believe so
This is a real moment, isn't it
Andrew
Indeed, they were ramping up to something after all
Oh that's a dirty guitar pushing its way in
Here we go
André
Powerful this
Andrew
Yeah, I think we're heading straight for a huge wall of noise
Andrew
Phew!
André
I was totally immersed in that
What a brilliant closer
Andrew
My goodness, yes, at the start I thought it might've been a low key closer
Honestly, that was a pleasure to listen to
André
Yeah, I'm definitely going to be returning a lot. Quite comfortably the best thing I've listened to this year
Andrew
Haha, quite the accolade on January 15th 😉. But I'm with you
André
This feels like a momentous moment for them
André
The pacing of the album was spot on and there are so many subtleties that it could be a real grower too
Andrew
That's a brilliant follow up album. Some excellent playing, satisfying rhythmic games being played in the background, great production
Agreed on the pacing too
André
Let's catch 'em live
Andrew
If we're ever allowed
