Talbot continues to sing with the passionate delivery and biting social commentary that made him such an interesting frontman throughout Brutalism. Similarly to Brutalism, on Joy he does not shy away from getting overtly political, which yields some of the album's best moments. "Danny Nedelko" is a catchy pro-immigrant anthem that refreshingly focuses on both the typical ("a Nigerian mother of three", "a Polish butcher") and the atypical ("Freddie Mercury", "Mo Farah") instead of falling into the common trap of exclusively centering the latter. The song's hook, which has Talbot quoting Yoda from Star Wars before going into an addictive chant, is among the album's best. The band provides another simple and effective hook in the anti-Brexit rock of "Great", but the highlight of the song is arguably the sarcasm that comes just before the chorus ("Islam didn’t eat your hamster/ Change isn’t a crime/ So won't you take my hand sir/ And sing with me in time").
Although hearing Idles raging against xenophobia will not surprise fans of their debut record, Joy is much more than just that. Talbot gets extremely personal on "June", where he delves into the loss of his stillborn daughter. Against a grim backdrop of organs that are eventually covered by a haze of guitars, Talbot's dispirited delivery creates one of the most immediately moving songs of the record. The next track, "Samaritans", is equally as compelling, but targets society at large instead of a personal tragedy. Bowen and Kiernan's guitar riffs combine to form a formidable wall of sound as Talbot launches into an attack on toxic masculinity, filling his verses with phrases men often hear from other men when they show emotion ("Man up/ Sit down/ Chin up/ Pipe down/ Socks up/ Don't cry/ Drink up/ Just lie/ Grow some balls he said"). The chorus has some of Talbot's best writing, personifying this brand of masculinity as a mask - a lie that controls and limits the wearer ("The mask/ Of masculinity/Is a mask/A mask that's wearing me").
Idles again address societal ills on "Television", which focuses on the ridiculous beauty standards that are often promoted by the media. Driven by fast-paced drumming, there is a furious positivity to the song, which opens with a call for self-love ("If someone talked to you/ The way you do to you/ I'd put their teeth through/ Love yourself"). The verses of "Television" are tied together with an energetic chorus that exemplifies the reckless abandon that makes Idles such a thrill to listen to ("I go outside and I feel free/ 'Cause I smash mirrors and fuck TV").
The bands' energy reaches its apex on the first and last tracks, "Colossus" and "Rottweiler." "Colossus" is new song structure territory for Idles - its beauty is in how it builds. The song begins with a relatively skeletal arrangement, adding heavier drumming and more active guitar riffs until it finally explodes with energy in the final minute and a half. Conversely, "Rottweiler" is a shot of adrenaline throughout its entire runtime, with particularly aggressive guitar work. Pointed guitar lines, aggressive riffs and thunderous drumming rampage through the last three minutes and a half, ending with an intense breakdown of the instrumental theme. "Rottweiler" is the perfect album closer - a fierce song that will definitely take live shows to the next level.
Idles are now two for two in their discography. The band have had a transformative year and a half - the success of Brutalism changed Idles from a group that primarily played in its home country to one that can go on a US and European tour. The high quality of Joy will undoubtedly add to this success. Killer hooks, a laundry list of quotable lyrics and a vigorous performance from the entire band make it an easy album to return to. With two fantastic records released in less than two years, Idles have undeniably earned some time off. Whenever they return to the studio, it's certain that whatever they announce next will be met with rapturous anticipation.
