IDLES' new album 'CRAWLER' will make you feel less alone—listen
English punks IDLES are back with CRAWLER, a follow-up to their critically acclaimed Ultra Mono.
The album features two previously released singles, “The Beachland Ballroom” and “Car Crash,” both with accompanying videos.
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The recent release of “Car Crash” features footage from artist Matthew Cusick’s “File On Motor Transgression, 2001-2011,” a digital compilation of more than 500 cinematic car chases, and edited by guitarist Lee Kiernan.
IDLES aren’t strangers when it comes to bringing awareness to topics such as societal/cultural injustices or mental health in their music.
CRAWLER continues that tradition by addressing issues such as addiction, trauma and more.
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In a press release, vocalist Joe Talbot and guitarist Mark Bowen explained their aspiration for CRAWLER as well as the album’s themes.
“We want people who’ve gone through trauma, heartbreak and loss to feel like they’re not alone,” Talbot says. “This album shows the ugly side of where those things come from but also how it is possible to reclaim joy from those experiences.”
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“I thought it was important to include a lot of the songs that deal directly with trauma and the immediate reactive responses to trauma in the first half,” Bowen says. “Then, you have the more head-on stuff later — the realization and the dealing with it.”
IDLES were recently featured in AltPress’ 400th issue, where they explained the motivation behind their music.
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“Our motive, the band’s ethos, is to make people feel like they’re not alone,” Talbot says. “I think that’s why people come to our shows and listen to our music. We offer love, and we want to be loved. There’re a million other things that you can be honest and vigorous about, and you’ll be successful as an artist. But our remit is to prevent people from feeling like they’re out there on their own.”
Bowen also compared CRAWLER to the current state of the world during COVID-19.
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“If Ultra Mono is kind of like a caricature of our identity that helped us see it for all its flaws,” Bowen says, “CRAWLER is an album of reflection and healing amid a worldwide pandemic that stretched the planet’s collective mental and physical health to the breaking point.
Bowen helped co-produce the album with genre-defying producer Kenny Beats (Deb Never, Vince Staples, Dominic Fike).
CRAWLER is out now via Partisan Records. Listen to IDLES’ latest record below.
CRAWLER tracklist:
1. “MTT 420 RR”
2. “The Wheel”
3. “When The Lights Come On”
4. “Car Crash”
5. “The New Sensation”
6. “Stockholm Syndrome”
7. “The Beachland Ballroom”
8. “Crawl!”
9. “Meds”
10.“Kelechi”
11. “Progress”
12. “Wizz”
13. “King Snake”
14. “The End”
