Mandy, Indiana – URGH

When Manchester quartet Mandy, Indiana unleashed their debut, 2023’s i’ve seen a way, it was clear that they were heading in a different direction to the British post-punk scene’s seemingly endless wave of sprechgesang-dominated bands. While you could ostensibly call them a post-punk outfit, Mandy, Indiana’s use of synth and the sheer abrasiveness of their sound skewed more industrial. i’ve seen a way wasn’t always an easy listen, but there were some moments of beauty there—the shimmering arpeggiated synths of “Love Theme (4K VHS)” spring to mind—to enjoy, rather than merely admire.

URGH doesn’t feel like a follow-up to i’ve seen a way—it feels like we’ve skipped three or four albums along the way. Valentine Caulfield’s (mostly) French-language vocals ensure it still feels like a Mandy, Indiana record, but around her it feels like so much has changed. The record feels strikingly maximalist; there is hardly any negative space. Consequently, it’s a lot to take in, especially if you’re not in the appropriate mood. The rhythms are more aligned with dance music. It’s high energy, relentless, breathless—which suits Caulfield’s personality and intensity perfectly. Another surprise beneficiary is underground Hip Hop legend billy woods, who sounds so good on “Sicko!” that I’d be up for hearing a whole album collaboration between him and Mandy, Indiana. Maybe draft ELUCID in, too—make it an Armand Hammer piece—as his sublime 2024 album Revelator occupied a similar sonic terrain.

If you’re looking for a slightly easiest route into URGH, “Cursive” is probably your best option. Its irresistible rhythms evoke a warehouse full of sweaty, delirious bodies moving in unison. I’m a curmudgeonly middle-aged man, but even I’d be losing my mind to this one live. Another highlight is “Dodecahedron,” which locks into a satisfying groove that reminded me a little of Battles.

Raging finale “I’ll Ask Her” sees Caulfield switching to English as she frantically narrates a story about men overlooking abuse perpetrated by their mates. Caulfield’s despairing vocal might sit low in the mix, but her despair, anger, resignation, and disgust are evident on lines like, “And in town you've heard some rumours, but you know how they run their mouths, these fucking bitches.” It’s a powerful, typically jarring end to an intense, serious record. Call it what you want, but in the hands of Mandy, Indiana words like ‘genre’ and ‘style’ feel utterly redundant. And sometimes, when the mood strikes, we all need a bit of unclassifiable dissonance in our lives.

URGH is out now via Sacred Bones.