Key Markets (LP)

Key Markets, the latest album from Sleaford Mods, is an impressive show of force from a duo with the chemistry that comes from having worked together for years but none of the complacency. Combining elements of hip-hop, punk, and noise, the English duo specialize in irreverent, driving songs full of palpable anger, like a bastardized midpoint between The Fall and The Streets. Vocalist Jason Williamson alternates between barely in-tune singing and full-on shouting, while producer Andrew Fearn matches his intensity with sparse yet forceful backing music, providing just enough to fill the spaces in his partner's polemics. The album doesn't veer wildly from Austerity Dogs or Divide and Exit, but fleshes out Sleaford Mods' sound in new ways.

If anything, Key Markets contains some of the angriest, least accessible moments of their discography so far. From the dissonance that accents "Rupert Trousers" to the winding, Eastern melodies of "Arabia", Key Markets undermines the notion that Sleaford Mods are only capable of mainlined aggression. Single "No One's Bothered" holds a fuller, pulsating rhythm, sounding more like a traditional song without sacrificing the group's energy.

Both in their 40s, Williamson and Fearn exude a certain world-weariness that only comes with having seen a lot of s**t. While there's a "sick of it all" cynicism throughout the album, it never takes away from the frantic energy on display. Sleaford Mods refused to make any concessions as they moved from relative obscurity to riding a wave of expectations leading up to Key Markets. By doubling down on their brand of frenzied political aggression, they show how consistency can co-exist with growth. Since there will probably never be a shortage of political grievances for Williamson to shout about, he and Fearn could continue this streak for years to come.

- Consequence Of Sound