Sleaford Mods : The Demise of Planet X
Sleaford Mods are a classic example of a 21st century band whose unique niche is at odds with algorithmically categorization and confinement to a metaphorical box on social media. But as we finally realize that new technology can just as easily deplete creativity, innovativeness and imagination, the ingenuity of vocalist/rapper Jason Williamson and instrumentalist Andrew Fearn shifts into crystal-clear focus at long last. The Demise of Planet X isn’t a sci-fi story about what some believe is a yet-undiscovered planet; it’s a fierce screed positing that we’re already living in a world that is racing toward uninhabitability at light speed.
Whether the English duo believe social media and the algorithm stymied their heady mix of electro-post-punk and rap from more widespread dissemination is beside the point. They loathe it regardless. Williamson—who incepted Sleaford Mods in 2007—expresses his antipathy for tech bros, their Frankenstein’s monsters and the depravity they’ve wreaked worldwide on “Megaton.” “Nobody knows where to post anymore/ Social media weight watchers, collabing,” he spits. “With the same old fucking singers, spray & pray, like lazy dog owners on short walks mate, wankers, fucking toss parachutes from jizz op aircraft carriers.”
But Sleaford Mods don’t limit their vitriol to technology (which, it should be stated, is rather ironic because Fearn’s music consists almost entirely of computer samples, loops, programming). Williamson takes pot shots at Prince Charles and Queen Camilla, musicians who play the role of “hoes” to record labels, and pretty much anyone who craves attention. “Why the fuck have you got a personal page on Wikipedia?” he wonders on “Double Diamond.” ”You’ve done fuck all.” It’d be impossible to argue that Williamson doesn’t give a fuck; he barks or sprechgesang-s the word, or variations of it, 84 times on the record. (The prize-winning line of profanity is on “Shoving the Images,” when he says, “You can’t get fucked/ Cos you’re a fucking cunt.”)
Providing some respite from Williamson’s furious flow are a handful of guest vocalists: actress Gwendoline Christie (best known as Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones) and Big Special on “The Good Life”; New Zealand indie-folk singer/songwriter Aldous Harding on “Elitest G.O.A.T”; Sue Tompkins, former vocalist for Scottish post-punk troupe Life Without Buildings on “No Touch”; and Liam Bailey, English soul/reggae singer-songwriter on “Flood the Zone.” (Sadly, actor Jon Hamm doesn’t make a guest appearance on the song “Don Draper.”)
What makes The Demise of Planet X a winning record is that Williamson isn’t just whining; his criticisms and complaints are well-justified in almost every instance. And that Fearn buttresses Williamson’s intensity with mesmerizing, sparse instrumentation is a stunning achievement in its own right. In an era during which anger seems to be the most commonly felt emotion, Sleaford Mods are finally at the right place at the right time.
Label: Rough Trade
Year: 2026
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