Another gem in the new Euro-rock scene.
The paranoid tight-knit rock of the incredible debut from Squid is another breathtaking contribution to the ongoing lore of the new alt-rock movement. The cutting intensity of the driving instrumentals lay the foundation for dystopian poetry that ingrains cuts deep to make the dark, twitching experience that is 'Bright Green Field'.
The album's potential was heard immediately with its brilliant lead single 'Narrator' with Martha Skye Murphy. The 8-minute masterclass in tension paints a dire portrait as it induces disorienting hopelessness via the swirling brass and condemning cries of lead singer Ollie Judge. The dark moniker of "I'll play my part" has branded itself into our heads and will have you humming it for days.
The album's other epic, the closer, 'Pamphlets', leaves another deep mark of frayed modernity and desperation for sanity. The Talking Heads style instrumentals are dangerously deceptive for the sheer unsettling observations of the modern world. The production of Dan Carey places the album in the leagues of a Black Midi or a Fontaines D.C. but remains wholly unique through the brilliance of Squid as a collective.
It is a part of the growing post-Brexit strain of new independent music to the likes of Sleaford Mods and Gazelle Twin but brings the post-punk edge of their contemporaries and influences. This is another one of 2021's best and is essential listening for rock fans.
'Bright Green Field' Available in Store Now