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Your first impression of Mandy, Indiana’s sophomore album ‘URGH’ will either make or break your experience. Given industrial music’s mini-resurgence in recent years, particularly thanks to bands like Model/Actriz and Fat Dog making it cool to get sweaty and abrasive again, it should come as no shock that Mandy, Indiana have a lay-up thrown for them here. They have the opportunity to add to the growing pile of metallic clutter, set to instrumentation so groovy it gives 70’s funk and disco bands a run for their money. It’s a niche that we truly couldn’t get enough of if we tried. Thankfully, as fate would have it, ‘URGH’ is a largely successful notch on the board. If the sputtering electronics and glitchy beats of beloved experimental acts like Death Grips and Machine Girl are enough to rile you up, then look no further than this record’s opening statement, “Sevastopol”. Did you listen? Have you checked it out yet? You have! Nice… Yeah, yup. Mhm. Uh huh… indeed, this *is* just the opening track.
So, now that you’re undoubtedly hooked, let’s delve deeper into what this album has to offer. ‘Magazine’ resembles something close to what Liars were trying to accomplish on their 2014 album ‘Mess’; danceable, electro-industrial post-punk mayhem. Except in this case, the presence of guitar-driven dissonance is enough to completely unsettle the party ethos. Similar discombobulation occurs on the following ‘try saying’ and ‘Dodecahedron’, the former a more percussive burst, the latter a developing stomp. In both cases, the intensity is seriously high, and establishes an enthralling consistency. Even in moments that should be considered “lulls”, I can’t stop looking over my shoulder, waiting for the next assault. Which arrives as the buzzing nightmare that is “Life Hex”. The cumbersome drums are maxed out sonically, abusive synth-bass plays stacks-on with the rest of the cacophony, allowing the mix to grind your ears to a fine pulp. That bass tone returns on “ist halt so”, though the compression is dialed back, the full-body jerk that this moment provides is still as concussive.
It’s a glorious feeling to hear a fresh band like Mandy, Indiana actually taking the creative risk and one-upping their debut. Moving from post-industrial scourge on ‘i’ve seen a way’, to straight up industrial noise punk on this latest, makes me wonder just how much gas is left in their tank. Do they have the second wind in them to even blow this one out of the water? That’s the fun of not knowing I suppose. I feel like I always ask this question, knowing that time will only tell. ‘URGH’ is a total blast, front to back. It is a thrilling rollercoaster, packed with zero-G drops and dizzying mid-air spins. You walk off the ride feeling beaten up, yet a part of you is keen to re-join the queue. Repeated listens have proven to me that there is staying power to be found here. I am glad to know that the excitement won’t wear off any time soon.
Dan Will Review 