- By now, Sleaford Mods' music has become a well-executed mnemonic state. Gruff vocals spit a sardonic and biting diatribe over simplistic loops, cemented into a style unmatched by others. When I first encountered them it was like running into a drunk bloke ranting at the pub, a recipe that I found surprisingly entertaining; it’s been a grouse time since. Coming into this new self-titled EP, Sleaford Mods operate from a code of their own. Variety might not be the duo’s strong suit but when the product is consistently brilliant, can we really complain, at this point? It's not breaking any musical ground, but, strangely, nor does the experience feel like anything has been revisited.
Starting the release with the seething rage of Put In A Five And Go, it envisions an elaborate fantasy of smacking trolls upside the head and involves careful planning and greasing the palms of morally flexible friends. A bass groove caught me off guard and quite melodic vocals stand it in good stead. Hilariously the refrain is drawn from a mid-song skit, adding to an already barn-storming beginning. Bang Someone Out brings toe-tapping beats into play and it goes over rather well. It dabbles with faint keyboards under a pulsing instrumental and even explores some daring solos; it's a bit musically adventurous by Sleaford standards. More generally, choruses and hooks consisting nigh solely of the song’s title chanted repeatedly, this makes each one stand distinctively out in your memory when looking back over the track list. Reducing the mood to a seedy evening on Dregs is where Sleaford Mods do what I like best. Speedy drum breaks drag everything forward, jolting everything out of a malaise and into uneasy paranoia as Joke Shop saunters in. Strapping low end rumbles against an atmosphere of airy melodies leaving a lasting impression on you while the run time ticks down to nothing.
As I said, what’s present on this EP isn’t a divergence from Sleaford Mods’ usual gameplan: they're still delivering verbal shotgun sprays to anything that moves; barrel quickly loaded again to pump whatever crosses their path. What’s here is additional ammo for this tirade and it's not like the pair are spraying indiscriminately: emblazing enormous roundels guide said slugs to land right where it's intended. Sleaford Mods continually come through with solid releases. For a duo whose live performances are one bloke pressing play and stop on a laptop and passing the time in between by drinking a beer while the other is blowing steam with strongpoints, they keep showing the wealth of ways to use minimal parts.
- Matt Lynch.