Who doesn’t love a surprise release? In an age of instant media gratification, a protracted release schedule full of singles and teaser interviews just doesn’t cut the mustard anymore. And while there had been whispers around the Enter Shikari fandom that something was afoot, nothing was truly known until the band confirmed that new music was dropping imminently with the arrival of ‘Love Your Self’.
Comprising 12 songs presented as one continuous experience, the band’s eighth studio album is one of their most daring and ambitious releases to date, but one that fits neatly into the canon that they had so meticulously curated between their 2007 debut ‘Take To The Skies’ and their most recent LP ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’.
Fans will delight in the fact that ‘Lose Your Self’ uses a pitch-shifted version of the synths that opened their lauded 2009 release ‘Common Dreads’, before unfurling into something that revels in Enter Shikari’s trademark blend of electronics and chunky guitars.
“You’re suspended in a light beam, to transcend it you gotta lose yourself,” frontman Rou Reynolds chants defiantly, continuing his established track record of penning fantastical and rousing lyrics centred on positivity through adversity.
Find Out The Hard Way… is peak latter day Enter Shikari, pairing anthemic choruses with thought-provoking verses, before tying it all up with a solid breakdown that offers a reminder of the quartet’s more raucous roots. Elsewhere, It’s OK marries spoken word verses with a huge Twenty One Pilots-esque chorus underpinned with lavish strings and the two parts of The Flick Of A Switch ramp up the tension by building towards a release of discordant aggression.
‘Lose Your Self’ closes with the Spaceship Earth trilogy, moving from a proper rock rager to ambient synths and soft vocals before a breathtaking orchestral arrangement and a final plea from Reynolds: “Hold on, hold on / a change is gonna come / my love.”
Enter Shikari have long been one of the UK’s most forward-thinking and innovative exports, and although they’ve already conquered arenas, ‘Lose Your Self’ goes to show that they won’t be resting on their laurels any time soon. Exciting, invigorating, unifying — this is an arm around the shoulder the world could do with.
Enter Shikari Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue April 21 2026 - DUBLIN Academy
Thu April 23 2026 - LIVERPOOL Cavern
Fri April 24 2026 - KINGSTON Fighting Cocks
Sat April 25 2026 - LONDON Signature Brew
Fri November 13 2026 - NOTTINGHAM Motorpoint Arena
Sat November 14 2026 - CARDIFF Utilita Arena Cardiff
Sun November 15 2026 - HULL Connexin Live
Wed November 18 2026 - GLASGOW OVO Hydro
Thu November 19 2026 - MANCHESTER Co-op Live
Fri November 20 2026 - LONDON Alexandra Palace
Sat November 21 2026 - LONDON Alexandra Palace
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