After a decade-long wait since 2015’s It’s Automatic, Social Disguises arrives carrying the weight of expectation — and then promptly shrugs it off. Since reuniting in 2022 with their original line-up — Tom Clarke, Andy Hopkins and Liam Watts — The Enemy have re-established themselves as a vital live force, tearing through sold-out shows, festivals and the Indie Til I Die tour alongside The Subways and The Holloways. But this album isn’t about reliving former glories. It’s about reclaiming identity.
Produced by long-time collaborator Matt Terry — the man behind fan favourite 40 Days and 40 Nights and No Time For Tears — Social Disguises captures the raw immediacy that made We Live And Die In These Towns so impactful, while filtering it through years of lived experience, industry scars and sharpened songwriting instincts. With over 90 demos to choose from the result is a record that sounds unmistakably like The Enemy — but wiser, tougher and more self-aware.
Here’s the ThisIsTheMusic song by song review.
The Boxer
The album opens with a statement of intent. The Boxer is lean, punchy and defiant — capturing The Enemy at their full-blooded best: thunderous rhythms keep everything driving and urgent, guitars swing with that familair Enemy soundscape and Tom’s vocal creates a hypnotic intensity. Lyrically it’s a track about a fictional character, with heavy metaphors about regret and how anxiety can hold us back. The chorus lands like a rallying cry, direct and memorable, the kind of terrace-ready hook that instantly recalls the band’s early ability to unite a crowd.
“The Boxer’ is about a fictional character, but it’s an observation about regret and how anxiety can stop us achieving things we want to in life. It’s about fear holding us back, and how that can destroy who we are”
Tom Clarke
Not Going Your Way
Classic Enemy swagger courses through this track. Built on a snarling riff and a propulsive rhythm section, Not Going Your Way is a refusal to compromise — musically or personally. Clarke’s vocal delivery bristles with frustration and resolve, echoing the band’s post-reunion independence and their determination to do things on their own terms. The chorus is sharp and chantable, carrying that familiar punch that made their early singles stick in your head after one listen.
The Last Time
There’s a reflective edge here that marks how far the band have come. The Last Time balances melody with melancholy, pairing chiming guitars with lyrics that hint at regret, missed chances and emotional finality. It’s one of the album’s most emotionally resonant moments, showing The Enemy’s ability to temper their fire with restraint.
Trouble
Fast, restless and brimming with tension, Trouble feels like the sound of a band bottling chaos and letting it loose. Watts is relentless behind the kit, while Hopkins’ bass provides a thick undercurrent that keeps everything grounded. Lyrically, it’s about consequences — the kind that follow you long after the noise dies down. The chorus is packed with catchy, punchy lines — a reminder of why The Enemy captured the hearts and minds of their fan base 20 years ago.
“Trouble’ has always felt to me like the spiritual successor to ‘Had Enough’. It’s a driving two-chord rant. I think every generation has, or will at some point experience the sensation that culture is changing and that they’re struggling to keep up“
Tom Clarke
Controversial
True to its title, Controversial bursts forward with raw, jagged energy, guitars snapping and shifting as the rhythm section drives it on. The chorus is built for fists-in-the-air moments, bold and immediate. There’s a knowing sneer to Clarke’s delivery, suggesting a band well aware of how they’ve been perceived — and no longer interested in playing nice to please anyone else. The chorus hits with bold, anthemic simplicity, designed for mass sing-alongs and instant connection.
Interference
Interference is a purely instrumental interlude — and it works as a smart palate-cleanser rather than filler. Matt Terry’s production gives it space to breathe: guitars shimmer and scrape, the rhythm section locks into a steady pulse, and the whole thing feels like a transmission breaking through static. Placed where it is, it resets the album’s momentum, creating tension and atmosphere.
Social Disguises
Kicking off with a noticeable tempo lift, Pretty Face immediately leans into a rockier edge, showing a punchier, more urgent side to the band. The lyric “Hello Pretty Face, Welcome To The Rat Race” lands as a standout moment, a sharp, relatable line that proves The Enemy are still writing songs that connect directly with their fan base and reflect real-life pressures. There’s a biting sense of irony running through the track. Musically upbeat and deceptively breezy, the song skewers superficiality and false appearances. It recalls the band’s early knack for pairing catchy hooks with sharp observations, proving that their social commentary is still as incisive as ever. The chorus is instantly accessible and melodic, one of the album’s most radio-friendly moments.
Serious
One of the album’s most affecting tracks, Innocent is built around rich atmospherics and stands as the band’s most experimental moment on the record. Striking synths shape the soundscape, giving the track a different texture and depth to anything else on the album. After the breakneck pace of the previous two songs, it offers a welcome moment to breathe, allowing the emotion to settle. The arrangement is understated, giving Clarke space to deliver a performance tinged with regret and reflection. The chorus is heartfelt and resonant, built around a melody that reinforces the song’s emotional core.
Finish Line
Closing the album, Finish Line feels deliberately unresolved — less a victory lap, more a checkpoint. There’s defiance in its forward momentum, but also realism: success isn’t an endpoint, it’s survival. The track carries the feel of a simmering mantra, its message building steadily as it pushes forward. As a closer, it perfectly encapsulates Social Disguises — a record about endurance, belief and refusing to fade quietly. The chorus feels like a final push forward, uplifting and determined, sending the album out on a note of momentum rather than closure.
Verdict
This isn’t just a comeback album — it’s a statement. Social Disguises finds The Enemy rediscovering the fire that first made them essential, while sharpening it with the perspective of everything they’ve lived through since. The choruses still hit, the riffs still bite, and the urgency that once defined them hasn’t faded — it’s evolved. Rather than chasing past glories, they’ve built on them, delivering a record that feels raw, relevant and unapologetically real. After more than a decade away, The Enemy haven’t just returned — they’ve reminded everyone exactly why they mattered in the first place.
Social Disguises is released on Friday 20th February and is available to pre-order here.
Gigs
JULY 2026
26th – Tramlines
30th – Aug 2nd – Y NOT? Festival
AUG 2026
30th Aug – Victorious Festival
NOVEMBER 2026 – VERY SPECIAL GUESTS TO OCEAN COLOUR SCENE
21st – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
27th – Bradford, Live
28th – Manchester, AO Arena
30th – Newcastle, City Hall
DECEMBER 2026 – VERY SPECIAL GUESTS TO OCEAN COLOUR SCENE
1st – Derby, Vaillant Live
3rd – Swansea, Arena
4th – Bournemouth, International Centre
7th – Plymouth, Pavilions
8th – Brighton, Centre
9th – London, The O2
11th – Bristol, Prospect Building: Studio
12th – Birmingham, bp pulse LIVE
The Enemy Socials
ThisIsTheMusic 
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