Loaded Album of the week
By Fred Spanner
The Enemy: Social Disguises ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Social Disguises, the long-awaited return from The Enemy, arrives with the weight of a decade-long gap and the expectations that come with it. For starters, the album deliberately reconnects with the scrappy urgency that powered their breakthrough era while adding the lived-in perspective of a band that has now grown up.
Tom Clarke has described the record as being made in the same mindset as their debut, and that intent is clear: punchy indie rock, direct songwriting, and a focus on everyday emotional struggles.
Musically, the record leans into the trio’s strengths. Singles like “The Boxer” and “Not Going Your Way” deliver the band’s trademark mix of driving riffs and chant-ready choruses, with “The Boxer” in particular exploring regret and anxiety through a character-driven narrative.
The production keeps things tight and unfussy, and the tracklist maintains a steady momentum across its eleven songs. The energy rarely dips, and the performances sound committed rather than merely retrospective.
Lyrically, Social Disguises shows the most growth. Clarke draws on themes of communication breakdown, cultural change, and his own adult autism diagnosis, giving the album a more reflective emotional core than the band’s early work.
The result is a comeback where The Enemy successfully reassert their voice in the modern indie landscape. Fans of their debut will likely find plenty to latch onto, while newcomers may hear a seasoned band rediscovering its purpose.
Don’t let this album pass you by.