| Spare Ribs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 15 January 2021 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 42:42 | |||
| Label | Rough Trade | |||
| Producer | Andrew Fearn | |||
| Sleaford Mods chronology | ||||
| ||||
Spare Ribs is the eleventh studio album by English post-punk band Sleaford Mods. It was released on 15 January 2021 on the Rough Trade Records. Production was handled by Andrew Fearn. It features guest appearances from Amy Taylor (Amyl and the Sniffers) and Billy Nomates. It was later nominated for the Best Album Ivor Novello Award in May 2022. [2]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.1/10 [3] |
| Metacritic | 83/100 [4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Clash | 8/10 [6] |
| DIY | [7] |
| Gigwise |  [8] |
| musicOMH |  [9] |
| NME | [10] |
| PopMatters | 10/10 [11] |
| Rolling Stone | [12] |
| The Independent | [13] |
| The Observer | [14] |
| The Telegraph | [15] |
Spare Ribs was met with widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 83 based on fifteen reviews. [4] The aggregator AnyDecentMusic? has the critical consensus of the album at a 8.1 out of 10, based on twenty-one reviews. [3]
Andrew Trendell of NME praised the album with a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, stating: "Here's your prescribed dose of reality with an unmistakable and intoxicating Sleaford Mods flavour. The extraordinary Spare Ribs is graffiti on a concrete wall; there's no manifesto, no easy answers and nowhere to hide". [10] Laviea Thomas of Gigwise gave the album a perfect 10 out of 10 stars, calling it "faultless" adding "Sleaford Mods are out to save 2021 with their boisterous lyricism and hard-hitting production". [8]
Sam Shepherd of musicOMH wrote: "Stripped back tracks, smart beats, punchy bass, and Williamson's dextrous barked delivery are all in place, and it seems that the band are in their dis/comfort zone". [9] AllMusic's Heather Phares wrote: "even at the album's bleakest, Sleaford Mods never sound completely beaten down. Not even a global pandemic and repeated lockdowns can crush their spirit, and Spare Ribs feels like a hearty, timely, and well-deserved two fingers up to the powers that be". [5] Susan Hansen of Clash wrote: "a raw snapshot perfectly designed to capture the ugliest sides of Britain, it's obvious that the duo is happy to knock at our doors once again. There's an ongoing need for this portrayal of relevant topics, and their sharpness and humour are as strong as ever". [6] Kitty Empire of The Observer wrote: "Andrew Fearn's deathlessly inventive compositions stare you down, defying you to find them simplistic – the title track's turbo-charged electro, and the pointillist electronics of Top Room, are just two cases in point". [14] Neil McCormick of The Telegraph wrote: "sweary, punky and bilious, Spare Ribs is unlikely to win over new converts but it is as good as anything in Sleaford Mods extensive oeuvre". [15] Brenna Ehrlich of Rolling Stone wrote: "written partly during lockdown, the record features some of the least-annoying songs about the pandemic recorded since the initial outbreak in 2019. And that's heavy praise, considering some of the truly treacle-shellacked tracks that oozed into the zeitgeist last year". [12]
In mixed reviews, Mark Beaumont of The Independent found the album "certainly reflects the personal and political overload of 2021, but half an hour in you'd be forgiven for scanning the horizon for your stop". [13] Bella Martin of DIY wrote: "not one for anyone who's not already won over by the pair's particular charms". [7]
All lyrics are written by Jason Williamson, except track 3 written with Amy Taylor and track 8 written with Billy Nomates; all music is composed by Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The New Brick" | 0:43 |
| 2. | "Shortcummings" | 3:34 |
| 3. | "Nudge It" (featuring Amy Taylor) | 3:43 |
| 4. | "Elocution" | 2:58 |
| 5. | "Out There" | 3:56 |
| 6. | "Glimpses" | 2:42 |
| 7. | "Top Room" | 3:50 |
| 8. | "Mork n Mindy" (featuring Billy Nomates) | 3:24 |
| 9. | "Spare Ribs" | 3:52 |
| 10. | "All Day Ticket" | 3:44 |
| 11. | "Thick Ear" | 3:04 |
| 12. | "I Don't Rate You" | 4:04 |
| 13. | "Fishcakes" | 3:08 |
| Total length: | 42:42 | |
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [16] | 47 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [17] | 20 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [18] | 112 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] | 10 |
| Irish Albums (OCC) [20] | 30 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [21] | 3 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [22] | 19 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [23] | 4 |
Sleaford Mods are an English post-punk music duo, formed in 2007 in Nottingham. The band features vocalist Jason Williamson and, since 2012, instrumentalist Andrew Fearn. They are known for their abrasive, minimalist musical style and embittered explorations of austerity-era Britain, culture, and working class life, delivered in Williamson's East Midlands accent. The duo have released several albums to critical praise.
Key Markets is the eighth studio album by British post-punk duo Sleaford Mods. It was released on 24 July 2015, through Harbinger Sound. The tracks are critical of the UK government.
English Tapas is the ninth studio album by English post-punk duo Sleaford Mods. Recorded at Steve Mackey's West Heath Garage studios in London, it was released via Rough Trade Records on 3 March 2017. It debuted at number 12 on the UK Albums Chart.
Freedom Highway is the second solo studio album of Folk/Americana musician and Carolina Chocolate Drops front woman Rhiannon Giddens. It was released via Nonesuch Records on February 24, 2017. Freedom Highway was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2017 Americana Music Honors & Awards. The title track "Freedom Highway" is a 1965 civil rights protest song written by Roebuck Staples and title track of The Staple Singers' album of the same name.
The Blue Hour is the eighth studio album by English alternative rock band Suede. The album was released on 21 September 2018.
Eton Alive is the tenth studio album by British post-punk duo Sleaford Mods. It was released on 22 February 2019 through Extreme Eating Records.
A Different Kind of Human is the third studio album by Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer Aurora. It was released on 7 June 2019 by Decca and Glassnote Records. It succeeds the album's first and previous chapter Infections of a Different Kind , which was released in September 2018. Aurora collaborated with producers including Magnus Skylstad, MyRiot, Askjell Solstrand, Odd Martin, Mark Ralph, Toby Gad, and Kill Dave during its recording. It has been categorised to be a pop, art pop, and electropop concept album.
Ohms is the ninth studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released on September 25, 2020, through Reprise Records. The album was produced by Terry Date, making it their first collaboration since the unreleased Eros and the final with bassist Sergio Vega who departed from the band in early 2021. The album was preceded by the release of two singles: "Ohms" and "Genesis". The song "Ceremony" was later released as a single. Ohms received acclaim from critics. The opening track "Genesis" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance and the closing track and title track Ohms was nominated for Best Rock Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
"Mork n Mindy" is a single released by the band Sleaford Mods on 30 October 2020, featuring Billy Nomates on guest vocals. The song was written in January 2020. The single is on their 2021 album Spare Ribs.
Typhoons is the third studio album by English rock duo Royal Blood, released through Warner Records on 30 April 2021. A predominantly self-produced effort, the band recorded the album throughout 2019 and 2020. The album also marks a notable shift in the band's sound, pairing their usual alternative and hard rock sound with elements of dance-rock and disco. The album was preceded by three singles—"Trouble's Coming", "Typhoons", and "Limbo"—in addition to the promotional single "Boilermaker".
Carnage is a 2021 studio album by Australian musicians Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Longtime collaborators in Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman, Carnage is their first full-length studio album as a duo, apart from their extensive work in film music. It was recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown and released digitally on 25 February 2021 via Goliath Records, with a CD and vinyl release on 28 May 2021, but was pushed back to 18 June 2021.
The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows is the second solo studio album by British musician Damon Albarn, best known as the frontman of Blur and Gorillaz. It was released on 12 November 2021, by Transgressive Records. The album's title is derived from the poem "Love and Memory" by John Clare. It is Albarn's first solo album since 2014's Everyday Robots. It was originally planned as an orchestral piece inspired by the landscapes of Iceland, but Albarn expanded the project into a full-length album during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Oochya! is the twelfth studio album by Welsh rock band Stereophonics, released on 4 March 2022 on Ignition Records. It is scheduled to be supported by a 2022 arena tour.
Imposter is the third collaborative studio album by English singer-songwriter Dave Gahan and electronica producer Soulsavers. It was released on 12 November 2021 by Columbia Records. The album also produced one single.
Tor Maries is an English musician and singer-songwriter who performs under the stage name Billy Nomates.
Never Let Me Go is the eighth studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, recorded between 2019 and 2021 and released on 25 March 2022. The album was made available for pre-order on 9 November 2021.
Life Is Yours is the seventh studio album by British rock band Foals, released on 17 June 2022 via Warner/Transgressive/ADA. The album was preceded by five singles; "Wake Me Up", "2am", "Looking High", "2001" and "Crest of the Wave".
Cave World is the third studio album by Swedish post-punk band Viagra Boys. It was released on 8 July 2022 through Year0001. A deluxe version of the album was released on 13 January 2023, which featured four more tracks.
Optical Delusion is the tenth studio album by English electronic music duo Orbital, released on 17 February 2023.
UK Grim is the twelfth studio album by English post-punk band Sleaford Mods. It was released on 10 March 2023 on the Rough Trade Records. Production was handled by Andrew Fearn. It features guest appearances from Florence Shaw and Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro.
