May 7, 2021
Warp Records
1x12"
There’s something happening across the pond. There has been a crop of bands unrelated aside from fitting under the wide umbrella of “rock” and having primarily spoken vocals in their tracks instead of sung. While bands like Shame and Idles have nurtured classic post-punk sounds and maintained the ferocity that made their influences so vital, Squid has moved in a different, more untethered direction. The Brighton band’s debut LP Bright Green Field draws on healthy doses of punk, funk, krautrock, electronic, dub and free-jazz all undercut by the unpredictable yelps of drummer/vocalist Ollie Judge who speaks in free-wheeling, stream-of-consciousness phrases that meld perfectly with the chaos surrounding him. It’s hard to say what has caused this crop of bands to arise out of the British isles, whether it be kids discovering their parents' old post-punk albums, post-Brexit disillusionment or the chaotic noise that comes out of bored young people with instruments. Whatever it is, it’s some of the most exciting rock music to come by in a long time.
IYL: Black Midi, The Fall,