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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
IDLES are still fast, still furious, and still have a lot to say. Joy as an Act of Resistance needed to be written and now, it needs to be listened to.
100
Vulnerability has never been so imminently loveable, inspiring, and best of all, presented in a manner that means just as much alone in a quiet bedroom as it does in the middle of a moshpit with all your best friends. If joy is indeed an act of resistance, then this is the band you want at the helm of the new age.
100
If their debut Brutalism took a blunderbuss to a knife fight in a bid to lay waste to the perceived multitude of cancerous sins being committed in the name of ‘modern living’ then Joy As An Act Of Resistance has a more measured snipers aim.
100
With impassioned songs about toxic masculinity, mental health issues, Brexit and immigration - this album chews up a whole load of BIG issues without ever feeling like a overly-political rant. It is one of the most vital and important albums of 2018.
100
No hyperbole needed; IDLES are the most important band we have right now.
100
The fun punks’ second album is an instant classic, one that people will turn to in times of need for years to come.
90
IDLES deliver a thunderous and sharp state-of-the-nation address in their monumental Joy As An Act Of Resistance.
90
IDLES have so much love to give that it’s coming out in a bone-crushing hug of noise. Frontman Joe Talbot’s agonies, vulnerabilities, scars, fuck-ups and political angers sit atop swelling guitar sound and powerful drums, his lyrics leading Joy as an Act of Resistance along to become the most infectious, vulnerable and cathartic album of the year.
90
At a time when punk seems to be redefining itself amidst its own developing public renaissance (because it has always been vital beyond the mainstream), IDLES are without a doubt the band with their foot most firmly on the accelerator. This album is instantly memorable and may just be the catapult on which the band are launched.
90
Overall, Joy as an Act of Resistance manages to plumb new depths for Idles -- that they've achieved another record in such a short space of time is admirable, let alone one that shines head and shoulders over the majority of their peers -- and it certainly upholds their status as one of the U.K.'s most exciting new acts.
90
UK punk outfit IDLES return with an album that improves on the brutal and politically charged style the band delivered on their debut last year. One of the best punk albums of the decade without question!
90
This is a band to get excited about. Very, VERY, excited about!
90
Joy as an Act of Resistance is one of the defining moments in modern punk and, with any justice, will stand as a testament to the working classes of the world and prove that new rock music is still being produced that can reach into your chest, tear out your heart-and then give you a great big hug that makes you feel like everything might just be alright in the end.
90
There is a profound sense of joy on the album. A loud, often frenetic, intense joy but joy all the same. The album extols the virtues of inclusion, of community, of love.
90
A heady, confusing rush of present-day fury and hope for a brighter future, Joy as An Act of Resistance is a record that bristles with the political and emotional energy of punk’s very best.
90
This album is a heart-breaking but jubilant exploration of joy, honesty, fragility and expression as our most powerful means of human resistance.
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4w
90
Quashing any fears of a sophomore slump, Bristol punks IDLES have delivered what will ultimately be hailed as one of 2018's most vital records with Joy As an Act of Resistance.
90
Joy… delivers on the momentum that they have been building, and seizes a piece of the zeitgeist in the process.
90
Joy As An Act Of Resistance is everything anyone could have wanted or expected it to be: Idles have released the most relevant and at times gut wrenching album of the year.
82
Occupying similar territory to their debut, the one-two effect of aggressive instrumentals and compelling one-liners makes for a blistering listen.
80
This album announces IDLES as one of the most exhilarating and necessary punk bands of right now.
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4w
80
This is another masterpiece from the talented Bristol five-piece.
80
Their follow-up sees them crank everything up to the next level.
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2y
80
This feels indispensable, as both bereavement therapy and Brexit-era protest.
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2y
80
They add to their ongoing commitment to openness here.
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8mo
80
Though punk this is most definitely not – the Bristol-based four-piece have honed something more important than that with Joy… They’ve created an album that manages to combine grief, self-loathing and a realisation that life’s better played honest, with a fine-tuned, brutal sound: something like bent sheet metal being hammered straight.
80
If the Bristol transplant’s first record grabbed you by the lapels and demanded you to pay attention, the quintet’s quick-fire follow up album ‘Joy as an Act of Resistance’ is more of a firm arm around the shoulders; it’s an LP that’s forged on inclusivity, embracing imperfections and flaws whilst confronting contentious subjects like immigration and looking to dismantle macho stereotypes.
80
As it is, Joy As An Act Of Resistance is shot through with stand-out moments, a great offering that you suspect will well and truly bring the house down when the band hits the road.
80
Much like their last album, Joy As An Act Of Resistance suggests Idles aren’t a particularly progressive band musically, but their sound is one with the absolute sincerity of their exploration of our culture and politics.
80
For anyone in need of music that articulates their concerns or helps them to work through their troubles – or anyone who simply appreciates blistering, intelligent punk – they might just be Britain’s most necessary band.
80
Sensitive punks, at long last, need hugs. Hardcore rock music, no matter how socially righteous, progressive and respect-driven, has generally arrived gargling testosterone, so it’s deeply refreshing that Bristol’s Idles place vulnerability and empathy front and centre.
80
‘Joy…’ is a self-confessed parade. It’s a punch-up and it’s a bear hug. It’s a less chic release than ‘Brutalism’, but the curse-of-the-second-album is not even a consideration.
68
The riffs come hard, fuzzy, and fast on the Bristol punks’ deeply passionate second album—and the platitudes follow close behind.
60
While Joy as an Act of Resistance might not flow perfectly as an album, many of its songs when taken on their own raise some serious hell.
Time to unleash the anger!!
Joy as an Act of Resistance is the 2nd album by British rock band Idles. It was released in August 2018 and recorded throughout 2017-18.
The album was a huge critical & commercial success, peaking in the UK Albums Chart at No. 5
Lyrically, Joy as an Act of Resistance focuses on lead singer Joe Talbot's troubled past & many timely themes like self-love, immigration, Brexit & toxic masculinity.
It's been a long time since I heard a Punk rock album this ... read more
10 POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR!!
10 POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR!!
WOW
For a full 42 minutes, I was rocking the fuck out! This is literal punk perfection and Im holding my ground on that statement.
This could very well end up being my AOTY for 2018!
Idles are a band that know what they want to do musically, and have a fucking blast doing so! The chemistry of the bandmates bleeds out through the music.
P.s. As much as it pains me to say this, this album was better than Parquet Courts' Wide Awake
Fuck ... read more
This album goes hard. The production is great really fun in the majority of the album. The lyrics are incredible. As for the overall sound it is intense and angry most of the time, the vocals sounded unhinged and mean. Every element sounds exciting and clean its great.
Favourite tracks: Everything from Colossus to Love Song, Samaritans, Television, Rottweiler.
Least favourite track: Cry To Me
This album is so god damn engaging and exciting to listen to. I could only imagine listening to this while in a rage room. The vocals and instrumentals are so unhinged on here. It’s brilliant the way the band portrays these raw and unfiltered moments of pure anger. Every song is so impactful, some noticeable ones being Television, Gram Rock, and I’m Scum. Great album.
Absolutely love the first songs: Colossus, Never Fight a Man with a Perm, and I’m Scum.
Then, I guess it just slowly goes downhill from there. None of the later songs on Joy are even close to as good as the first three. Hmm…this is a hard one to score, ‘cuz there are some great ideas going on, but not at all the same energy that was shown earlier
There is a “rumor” I’ve heard that doesn’t really have to do with what I said above, but is quite ... read more
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Track List
| 1 | Colossus 5:39 | 96 |
| 2 | Never Fight a Man with a Perm 3:48 | 96 |
| 3 | I'm Scum 3:09 | 92 |
| 4 | Danny Nedelko 3:24 | 92 |
| 5 | Love Song 3:05 | 88 |
| 6 | June 3:35 | 88 |
| 7 | Samaritans 3:30 | 92 |
| 8 | Television 3:12 | 90 |
| 9 | Great 2:44 | 88 |
| 10 | Gram Rock 2:28 | 85 |
| 11 | Cry To Me 2:24 | 82 |
| 12 | Rottweiler 5:25 | 90 |
Total Length: 42 minutes
Year End Lists
| #1 | / | BBC Radio 6 Music |
| #1 | / | Far Out Magazine |
| #1 | / | God Is In The TV |
| #1 | / | Louder Than War |
| #1 | / | MondoSonoro |
| #1 | / | Northern Transmissions |
| #2 | / | Drowned in Sound |
| #2 | / | Fopp |
| #3 | / | NME |
| #3 | / | PopMatters |
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6mo
i love this album cover so much and i don't know why, maybe it's just the juxtaposition between the absolute chaos in the background and the positivity of the text
10mo
idk whats up but you can hear a very drastic mixing difference in the transition between the end of colossus and never fight a man with a perm; colossus' finale is much louder than even the opening riff of the latter even at the same volume
Added on: June 11, 2018