Joy as an Act of Resistance.
A ferocious, open-hearted post-punk record that weaponizes radical empathy and raw vulnerability against toxic masculinity and societal division.
A ferocious, open-hearted post-punk record that weaponizes radical empathy and raw vulnerability against toxic masculinity and societal division.
Critical peak
Gravel-spat vocals collide with basslines that feel like a heavy boot on a floorboard, turning what could have been bitter noise into a sweaty, communal embrace. After nearly collapsing under the pressure of their own sudden momentum, this record found its footing by dropping the defensive armor. The guitars still scrape and bruise, but the anger is redirected outward, clearing space for a raw, tear-streaked vulnerability that demands you show up exactly as you are. It is the precise moment their chaotic fury became a shared lifeline, proving that shouting your softest truths can be the loudest thing in the room.
The band pushes their emotional threshold to its absolute limit here, transforming devastating personal grief into a collective, sweat-soaked cathartic release that feels both bruising and deeply healing.
Widely praised for its passionate spirit, the album was warmly embraced by critics who admired the balance between its fast, fuzzy instrumentation and vulnerable lyrical themes. Reviewers found comfort in the fierce vocal delivery that subverts traditional masculinity, celebrating the record as an urgent and deeply felt connection to working-class life.
“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
“An instant classic, one that people will turn to in times of need for years to come”Read review
“The most relevant and at times gut wrenching album of the year”Read review
“Delivers on the momentum that they have been building, and seizes a piece of the zeitgeist in the process”Read review
“The riffs come hard, fuzzy, and fast on the Bristol punks’ deeply passionate second album — and the platitudes follow close behind”Read review
“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
“Not Britain’s, nor Europe’s, but the world’s most vital band”Read review
“For all his gruff, ferocious delivery, frontman Joe Talbot is all about upending his own masculinity”Read review
“There is a profound sense of joy on the album. A loud, often frenetic, intense joy but joy all the same”
“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
“They might just be Britain’s most necessary band”Read review
“This is a band to get excited about. Very, VERY, excited about!”Read review
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