Albums to watch

Joy as an Act of Resistance

Idles

Joy as an Act of Resistance

Second album of indie post-punk from the Bristol quintet

ADM rating[?]

8.5

Label
Partisan Records
UK Release date
31/08/2018
US Release date
31/08/2018
  1. 10.0 |   God Is In The TV

    Listen, reflect, then change your little piece of the world for the better
    Read Review

  2. 10.0 |   The Arts Desk

    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
    Read Review

  3. 10.0 |   NME

    An instant classic, one that people will turn to in times of need for years to come
    Read Review

  4. 10.0 |   DIY

    No hyperbole needed; IDLES are the most important band we have right now
    Read Review

  5. 9.0 |   Clash

    This is a band to get excited about. Very, VERY, excited about!
    Read Review

  6. 9.0 |   Crack

    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
    Read Review

  7. 9.0 |   Under The Radar

    One of the defining moments in modern punk and, with any justice, will stand as a testament to the working classes of the world
    Read Review

  8. 9.0 |   PopMatters

    There is a profound sense of joy on the album. A loud, often frenetic, intense joy but joy all the same
    Read Review

  9. 9.0 |   The Quietus

    Not Britain’s, nor Europe’s, but the world’s most vital band
    Read Review

  10. 9.0 |   The 405

    IDLES believe that community spirit and togetherness will be what ultimately guides us closer to happiness as a whole, and in Joy As An Act Of Resistance they’ve created a monumental banner for the movement
    Read Review

  11. 9.0 |   Exclaim

    IDLES turn trauma and anger into affirming lessons on Joy As an Act of Resistance, crafting a cathartic masterpiece that wears its heart — broken, but still beating — on its sleeve
    Read Review

  12. 9.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    Delivers on the momentum that they have been building, and seizes a piece of the zeitgeist in the process
    Read Review

  13. 9.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    The most relevant and at times gut wrenching album of the year
    Read Review

  14. 8.2 |   Gig Soup

    The Bristol outfit expands on the success of their debut with a record that deserves your attention, packed with more punches than an Old Firm derby
    Read Review

  15. 8.0 |   No Ripcord

    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
    Read Review

  16. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    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
    Read Review

  17. 8.0 |   Punk News

    Joy as an Act of Resistance is a giant heaping of grade-A punk rock. It’s an ambitious project camouflaged as a more straightforward release not unlike their peers in Fucked Up
    Read Review

  18. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    They might just be Britain’s most necessary band
    Read Review

  19. 8.0 |   Evening Standard

    This is another masterpiece from the talented Bristol five-piece
    Read Review

  20. 8.0 |   The FT

    The music is powerful and visceral, a lacerating type of vulnerability
    Read Review

  21. 8.0 |   The Music

    A tremendously creative album from a genre that seems to be getting staler with each passing year. Punks will love it, and so will anyone with a heart and a funny bone
    Read Review

  22. 8.0 |   Record Collector

    It genuinely feels like something enormous is imminent for Idles
    Read Review

  23. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Their follow-up sees them crank everything up to the next level. Print edition only

  24. 8.0 |   Q

    This feels indispensable, as both bereavement therapy and Brexit-era protest. Print edition only

  25. 8.0 |   Uncut

    They add to their ongoing commitment to openness. Print edition only

  26. 8.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    The peaks of ‘Joy’ are actually the slow moments – and arguably the peaks of IDLES’ discography so far
    Read Review

  27. 8.0 |   The Independent

    For all his gruff, ferocious delivery, frontman Joe Talbot is all about upending his own masculinity
    Read Review

  28. 6.8 |   Pitchfork

    The riffs come hard, fuzzy, and fast on the Bristol punks’ deeply passionate second album — and the platitudes follow close behind
    Read Review

  29. 6.0 |   The Skinny

    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
    Read Review


blog comments powered by Disqus

Watch it

Roll over video for more options

Hear it

Latest Reviews

More reviews