An energetic shouting match of vivid new wave, Krautrock, and post-punk influences,
Bright Green Field is the much-anticipated debut album from U.K. combo
Squid. Since forming in Brighton in 2016, the London-based quintet have delivered a consistently befuddling array of eclectic singles and EPs that, in addition to their frenzied live shows, have agitated the hype machine in a big way. And for good reason:
Squid is a legitimately exciting band whose generally unclassifiable sound feels tapped into the weirder currents of the zeitgeist. As with their 2019
Town Centre EP,
Bright Green Field was helmed by
Dan Carey, the sympathetic producer who has helped finesse interesting Mercury-nominated records from artists like
Kae Tempest and
Fontaines D.C. In some ways, their debut carries the absurdist lineage "Houseplants'' and "The Cleaner," two of the
Squid's best-known singles, though it's also clearly its own monster. Like an avalanche gathering up everything in its path,
Squid seem to thrive on evolution and an inherent sense of danger. Out of the gate, the thrilling "G.S.K." (a reference to British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline) roils with a mixture of hip-hop swagger, prog-funk chops, and brazen post-punk proclamations, recalling
Public Image Ltd.'s early records, mid-period
King Crimson, or a less-filthy
Mr. Bungle. As both frontman and drummer, Ollie Judge wields his arresting commentator/barker vocal approach to great effect while muscling the group through sprightly grooves punctuated with horns, spiky guitar licks, freak-outs, and breakdowns. Clocking in at about 50 minutes long,
Bright Green Field somehow manages to hold the attention with a range of dynamics and ear-catching techniques like the staggered vocals stacks on the alternately mellow and chaotic "2010." The music is busy, but rarely familiar, and certainly stimulating. Truly a band for the times,
Squid feels like a wild jumble of thoughts come to life, effusing anger, confusion, humor, detachment, and even joyfulness in their pursuit of true creative freedom. ~ Timothy Monger