With a band that’s shot to fame so quickly, it can be easy to ignore their back catalogue. Often people just start with the band’s first big break and assume that they emerged as some fully-formed entity. Often it can be interesting to dig into earlier material and trace the genesis of ideas and styles as a band find their footing. Earlier today Idles released a surprise EP onto streaming services, dating back to the formative days of the band in 2012. This is the perfect example of a group finding their footing and a fascinating look at the band’s output and style before they hit the mainstream.
This is Welcome.
With their 2017 album Brutalism, punk powerhouse Idles left an almighty dent in the UK music scene. The album was a vicious, snarling beast that packed some of the band’s most dynamic cuts such as ‘Mother’ and ‘Well Done’. This was swiftly followed up by Joy As An Act Of Resistance, an instant classic of the genre, with its politically charged lyrics, roaring instrumentals and tongue-in-cheek sensibilities that made it a fan favourite and saw it achieve critical acclaim. This was the album which propelled the band to stardom, from prestigious awards to festival stages and international success.
Welcome is a different beast entirely. Across the four tracks which make up the EP, the band experiments with post-punk, indie and alt-rock aesthetics. While it may bear little resemblance to their later releases, this EP lays the groundwork for many of the ideas that would later go on to define the band. Joe Talbot’s vocals are somewhat more tuneful and less shouty on tracks like ‘Meydei’, still packing bite and bitterness but with less aggression than later albums would see him achieve. Instrumentals are also more pared back, having a brooding and dark aesthetic but being considerably less raw and vicious. Tracks like ‘26/67’ combine moody post-punk guitars with a more alt-rock influenced drumbeat and minimal bass line. There’s echoes of grunge, dirtier indie and the alt-rock stylings of bands like Arcade Fire. It lacks the confidence of their later tracks but it’s fascinating to see the band experiment with different styles and tones. There’s a certain lack of direction on the first two tracks of the album, with tracks sounding a little messy, but thankfully this is rectified with the final two which are a clear step in the right direction for the band.
‘Germany’ is a post-punk banger, with its dark and swirling guitars and Peter Hook style bass line playing off of a more uptempo drum beat and more aggressive vocal lines. It moves with a sinister, menacing bounce as guitar feedback wails and screams over the throbbing bass groove and drums. The mix is a bit off at times, sounding somewhat muddy but that’s to be expected of such an early release. The songwriting on the other hand, is much more consistent. Lyrics aren’t exactly the sharpest but they carry that same venom that would later go on to define the band and much of the instrumental sounds like it could have come straight off of Brutalism. This is easily my favourite track on the project.
‘Two Tone’ is a more conventional punk track, Talbot and backing vocalists screaming their lungs out over a guitar line that sounds like it was ripped straight from a Savages song. It's great. The bass line kicks and pounds, driving drum grooves and some hefty riffs keeping the whole thing glued together. It’s rough and raw but electrifying.
While Welcome may not show the band at their full potential, it provides an interesting look at an early Idles and the genesis of their stylings and songwriting. It lacks the swagger and bravado Brutalism and Joy As An Act Of Resistance but that’s to be expected from a band who are still in the process of finding their footing. It’s not perfect but it doesn’t need to be, it’s merely a stepping stone for a band who are on their way to achieve greatness. It sounds like the best DIY punk show you've ever seen, raw and rough in all the right places. It’s dark, moody and brooding in all the right ways but it’s not quite developed or polished enough for wider success.
Welcome is a fascinating deep cut from the back catalogue of one of the most vibrant and exciting bands working today. It’s a reminder that bands do not emerge fully formed and a look at the evolution of a style that would go on to sell out tours and headline festival stages. It's definitely worth a listen.
Viva la Idles.
6.5/10
Alex Thompson
Comments