| Brutalism | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 10 March 2017 | |||
| Recorded | 2015–2016 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:56 | |||
| Label | Partisan/Balley | |||
| Producer | Space | |||
| Idles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Brutalism is the debut studio album by British rock band Idles, released in March 2017.
| Brutalism | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 10 March 2017 | |||
| Recorded | 2015–2016 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:56 | |||
| Label | Partisan/Balley | |||
| Producer | Space | |||
| Idles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Brutalism is the debut studio album by British rock band Idles, released in March 2017.
The band started recording the album in 2015. [1] Singer Joe Talbot's mother (who is pictured on the album cover along with a sculpture by Talbot and his father) died during the recording of the album after a long illness, and his time caring for her, and her death, had a major impact on the album, with Talbot later stating "She was that album. That's why she was on the cover." [2] [3] [4] Talbot added lyrics after the music had been written by the rest of the band. [3] He stated the songs on the album are "to do with the roles of women in my life. It's also to do with the role my mum played pre and postmortem and also about progression and grief as a theme and eventual rebuilding". [3] The band recorded the album largely live in the studio, with each song recorded three times at most in order to keep a raw and urgent feel to them. [3] It was produced by Space.
"Stendhal Syndrome", which ironically mocked lowbrow art critics, [5] was made available for download before the album's release, as were three tracks from the album that were later released as physical singles; "Mother", which dealt with "impotent male rage" and Talbot's feminism, [2] "Divide & Conquer", about the state of the NHS, and "Well Done", which dealt with the class system. [6]
A limited edition of 100 LPs were released in October 2017 with Talbot's mother's ashes pressed into the vinyl. [4]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 88/100 [7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| DIY |  [8] |
| Drowned in Sound | 9/10 [9] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 9/10 [10] |
| Loud and Quiet | 7/10 [11] |
| PopMatters | 8/10 [5] |
| Uncut | 8/10 [12] |
AllMusic's Liam Martin awarded it four and a half stars out of five, describing it as "the sound of an angry band reacting to an increasingly tense and imbalanced world...they deftly walk the tightrope between tragedy and comedy", calling it "a necessary and thrilling listen from start to finish". [6] Jessica Goodman, reviewing it for DIY magazine, gave it four stars, calling it "as dirty as it is messy. An exhilarating escape along frenzied rhythms and powerhouse rhythms with a ferocious commentary for guidance...as vital as it is volatile." [8] Loud and Quiet's Alex Wisgard rated it 7/10, commenting on Talbot's "absurdist humour" and calling the band "impossibly tight". [11] The NME called it an "expletive-laden, punk triumph that tackles the current Tory rule, toxic masculinity and mental health. Utterly vital." [13] PopMatters reviewer Ian King gave it 8 out of 10, describing it as "one of the more clever and articulate rock records you will hear this year". [5] Uncut described it as "a rare rock record with the rage, urgency, wit and shattering of complacency usually found in grime." [12]
In an interview for Quietus , writer Eoin Murray described Talbot's lyrics on the album as "stark, unabashedly angry and refreshingly unadorned amid the grating instrumentation". [1]
Brutalism was selected at number 5 in BBC 6 Music's list '6 Music Recommends Albums Of The Year 2017', where it was described as "Caustic, volatile, take-no-prisoners indie [that delivers] a truly vital, adrenalin shot to the heart and mind." [14] It was described by Michael Hann in The Guardian as "the most honest album of 2017". [2]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heel / Heal" | 3:28 |
| 2. | "Well Done" | 2:58 |
| 3. | "Mother" | 3:26 |
| 4. | "Date Night" | 3:06 |
| 5. | "Faith in the City" | 2:36 |
| 6. | "1049 Gotho" | 3:46 |
| 7. | "Divide & Conquer" | 3:24 |
| 8. | "Rachel Khoo" | 3:26 |
| 9. | "Stendhal Syndrome" | 2:24 |
| 10. | "Exeter" | 4:00 |
| 11. | "Benzocaine" | 2:40 |
| 12. | "White Privilege" | 3:02 |
| 13. | "Slow Savage" | 3:40 |
| Total length: | 41:56 | |
Idles
Production
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [15] | 26 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [16] | 65 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [17] | 7 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [18] | 1 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) [19] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Muse are an English rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme, and Dominic Howard (drums).
Martin Lee Gore is an English musician and songwriter. He is one of the founding members of the electronic rock band Depeche Mode and is the band's main songwriter. He is the band's guitarist and keyboardist, and occasionally provides lead vocals. Gore possesses a tenor singing voice which contrasts with Dave Gahan's dramatic baritone. He is also known for his flamboyant and (sometimes) androgynous stage persona. Gore has also released several solo albums and collaborated with former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke as part of VCMG.
The Style Council were a British band formed in late 1982 by Paul Weller, the former singer, songwriter and guitarist with the new wave/mod revival band the Jam, and keyboardist Mick Talbot, previously a member of Dexys Midnight Runners, the Bureau and the Merton Parkas. The band enabled Weller to take his music in a more soulful direction.
The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning. After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in their early days, both Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. joined the band in 2002. The band's name is derived from a logo on the bass drum of a fictitious band portrayed in the music video for the New Order song "Crystal".
Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Nick O'Malley, and Matt Helders. Former band member Andy Nicholson left the band in 2006 shortly after their debut album was released.
Mystery Jets are an English indie rock band, formerly based on Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, London. The band consists of Blaine Harrison, Jack Flanagan, Kapil Trivedi (drums) and Henry Harrison (lyrics).
Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite, Barry Burns, Dominic Aitchison, and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogwai typically compose lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces that feature dynamic contrast, melodic bass guitar lines, and heavy use of distortion and effects.
NYPC are an English electronic music band from London. The band was formed by Andy Spence and Tahita Bulmer in 2004. Their influences are predominantly post-punk and new wave artists.
Protomartyr is an American post-punk band formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 2010. The band consists of Joe Casey (vocals), Greg Ahee (guitar), Alex Leonard (drums), and Scott Davidson (bass). In 2020, Kelley Deal joined the band in a touring capacity, providing additional keyboards, guitar and backing vocals.
Turnstile are an American hardcore punk band from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2010. They have released five EPs and three studio albums. The band's third album Glow On was released in 2021 to critical and commercial success; the songs "Holiday" and "Blackout" earned the band three nominations at the 65th Grammy Awards.
Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes are an English punk rock band formed in 2015 by frontman Frank Carter with guitarist Dean Richardson. Famed for their raucous live shows, the band released their debut album Blossom in 2015, and the follow-ups Modern Ruin in 2017 and End of Suffering in 2019. Their fourth album, Sticky, was released in October 2021.
Idles are a British rock band formed in Bristol in 2009. The band consists of Joe Talbot (vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Lee Kiernan (guitar), Adam Devonshire (bass) and Jon Beavis (drums). Their debut album, Brutalism, was released in 2017 to critical acclaim, as was their second album Joy as an Act of Resistance in 2018. Their third album, Ultra Mono, was released in 2020, followed by Crawler in 2021.
Joy as an Act of Resistance is the second studio album by British rock band Idles, released on 31 August 2018 by Partisan Records. Following the success of their debut album Brutalism, the band started recording new material for their next album. Taking inspiration from the similarly titled 2008 poem by Toi Derricotte, Joy as an Act of Resistance tells stories from Joe Talbot's troubled past and lyrics that deal with toxic masculinity, love, self-love, immigration, Brexit, and class. The album garnered critical acclaim from critics. Joy as an Act of Resistance peaked at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart and spawned two official singles: "Danny Nedelko" and "Never Fight a Man with a Perm". To promote the record, the band toured across Japan, North America, and Europe.
Welcome is the first extended play by British rock band Idles. The extended play was released originally as a demo on 31 December 2011 before being released for the public on 4 August 2012 through independent label, Fear Of Fiction.
Fontaines D.C. are an Irish post-punk band formed in Dublin in 2014. The band consists of Grian Chatten (vocals), Carlos O'Connell (guitar), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), and Tom Coll (drums).
Idles are a British-Irish rock band. Formed in Bristol in 2009, the band consists of Joe Talbot (vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Lee Kiernan (guitar), Adam Devonshire (bass) and Jon Beavis (drums). The band released five extended plays before they released their debut album, Brutalism in 2017. Brutalism was met to critical acclaim, as was their second and third studio albums, Joy as an Act of Resistance in 2018, and Ultra Mono in 2020. The band's latest album, Crawler, was released on 12 November 2021.
Sports Team is an English alternative rock band based in London. The band consists of lead vocalist Alex Rice, rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rob Knaggs, lead guitarist Henry Young, bassist Oli Dewdney, drummer Al Greenwood, and keyboardist Ben Mack. According to The Guardian, their songs "romanticise Middle England" and idiosyncrasies like Wetherspoons, flip phones, the M5, and fishing.
Joseph Talbot is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He has been the vocalist for British rock band Idles since their inception in 2009.
Ultra Mono is the third studio album by British rock band Idles, released on 25 September 2020 by Partisan Records. Following on from their previous album Joy as an Act of Resistance, the album further explores themes established in the band's previous works such as critique of capitalism, revolution, class struggle, mental health and toxic masculinity, as well as the positive and negative aspects of the band's newfound fame.
Crawler is the fourth album by British rock band Idles, released on 12 November 2021.
