IDLES- Joy as an Act of Resistance
If there is a place to start with Idles, it would be the first four songs, possibly a fifth, of this album. All the manic energy, the righteous anger from their previous album Brutalism is concentrated into this suite of infectious songs. But that’s only the first four. After that, the energy drops and just doesn’t get higher. That might sound like it’d be disappointing, but those four songs are just so good they make up for it.
Let’s look at “Danny Nedelko” just for an example. The energy of all of this group of songs is the same so what can be said about one can be applied to all of them. They make up parts of a cohesive whole, in other words. “Danny Nedelko” is a song about immigration. The titular Danny is a friend of singer Joe Talbot, and Joe speaks of lovingly of his friend, calling him his “blood brother” declaring: “He’s strong, he’s earnest, he’s innocent.” He also draws comparisons between Nedelko and a “polish butcher,” “a Nigerian mother of three,” and Freddy Mercury, three examples of immigrants. Nedelko becomes the universal immigrant. And this political message is wrapped in a fist pumping song that begs to be sung in a soccer arena.
So here we have the elements that make up Idles’ style: the personal mixed with the political in an electric concoction that worms its way into the listener’s brain. I’ve said in a previous review that Idles is about personal expression, putting Talbot’s personality and beliefs on confident display, and that’s true here too. But here, the emphasis has be been shifted to the more listener friendly. “Nedelko” could be played on the radio, whereas “Love Song” would not. In other words, these four song are the hits, the intro to one of the most invigorating bands I’ve heard.
4/5 Listen to the first four songs. Guaranteed you’ll like them, or at least appreciate them. If you just appreciate them stop there, if you like what you hear, just know that there’s a whole other, more introspective side of Idles. “Jane” is about Talbot’s stillborn daughter, and it’s one of those great songs that I never want to hear again. With Idles, it’s best to not judge the book by its cover. Underneath the intimidating facade is a message about love and joy that deserves to be heard.