Attack Mode

Nottingham duo broaden their musical horizons without losing their edge on masterful 12th.

- Jamie Atkins

Sleaford Mods

UK GRIM 

4/5

Rough Trade RT 0391 LP (CD, LP)

When the nuclear dust settles and our children are looking back from their Amazon space pods at British life in the early 21st century, the music of Sleaford Mods will provide valuable insights. Since their self-titled and self-released CD-R debut in 2007, Jason Williamson (vocals, lyrics) and Andrew Fearn (music, who joined Williamson on the crusade in 2012) have held a mirror to the times with uncompromising, opinionated, intelligent, and often hilarious diatribes set to stark and exciting tunes.

Their 12th album, UK GRIM, is no exception, with Williamson raging against the ever-changing government, masculinity, social media, his online shopping habits... you name it, with the laser focus, bleak humour and force-of-nature delivery that has earned them a devoted following.

The bold title track wastes no time in setting out their stall. Heavy, pulsing synths underscore a blistering state-of-the-nation rant from Williamson ("In England, no one can hear you scream, you're just fucked, lads") that veers between swipes at Putin and Truss, grimly astute and oddly poetic observations ("the smooth streets in the business quarter where the white Range Rovers hum - they sound lovely"), and absurd wordplay ("I want it all like a crack forest gateau").

There's more rabble-rousing with the splenetic and frantic rumble of Tilldipper, in which Williamson pours scorn on those who keep their hands in the till (certain politicians, perhaps?), before launching into an excellent rant about the sort of conformist bloke keen on performative misogyny ("Club 2000 lap dance twat").