Squid’s latest offering Cowards tells tales of perhaps the most debased nature yet. For those willing to listen, the album promises to unfurl immeasurable riches. In surrender of their spoils, Squid have embarked on their sprawl across the UK. Along their path, the band set their feet down in Sheffield. Alice Beard reviews.
With Squid’s latest release it’s out with the old, in with the new. Cowards twists the axis of their musical world even further off course, once again proving their ability to push the boundaries of their own specific genre. If there’s one thing to say about this LP, it is that it demands to be heard. It is distinct in both sound and appearance, something to immerse the whole being in, not just pick upon the surface of. With all of this in mind, the shadowy corners of Sheffield’s Leadmill provided ample climatic undercurrent to set the tone for the evening and open the gates to Squid’s mystic underworld.
Hurtling in with no space for hesitation, album opener Crispy Skin made an unwavering vow to set the pace for the evening. It’s a sharp and witty piece, its writhing melodic turns in perpetual battle with an ever-onwards marching percussive section. In the slowly rising heat of the venue, it quickly became evident Squid were only just getting started. With each new song came a new layer to unpeal. Building 650 quickly clattered through with its murky tale of urban Japan’s underbelly. The track's playful guitar licks flourished amidst the toil of instrumentation, this the only means of distraction from the levels of debauchery contained within the lyrics. Showtime! found solace in similar levels of disarray, a rousing piece which, in this live setting, reached near dizzying heights of claustrophobia.
The battle cry of G.S.K. summoned up our first act of concord between artist and audience of the evening. This track was the familiar and friendly face to get the crowd really moving. Chants of ‘On Concrete Island, I wave at the businessmen/ On Concrete Island, well, I hope my dinner is warm’ accompanied the looming feeling that the walls of the venue were slowly drawing in. The air was heavy, the atmosphere all-consuming.
"ever-present themes of tenderness cut loose by pessimism which swell through so much of Squid’s work, from new to old"
Relishing in the intensity, the band saw fit to allow the crowd to settle in and bask in the glows of a few tracks off their folk-adjacent epic O- Monolith. The opening synth- line of Swing (In a Dream) spilled with urgency, some fair forewarning of the impassioned rendition that awaited us. The following Undergrowth and The Blades came in hot, this blistering three- track lineup reminding us once again of Squid’s versatility as performers and storytellers. Rumbling bass hooks, unrelenting rhythms and distinctly furious vocal flashes all served as fenceposts to tie down the ever-present themes of tenderness cut loose by pessimism which swell through so much of Squid’s work, from new to old.
The sweet chimes of the harpsichord soon brought the crowd back up to the surface once again, the tempo simmering down for Fieldworks I and II. Reassuming the position of the new, a fresh leaf turned the notch up on dramatics and tension. As the band floated through a handful more of their latest, we were left in no doubt as to their acerbic taste and talent for the unexpected.
Before long came time for the band to lay down their arms, of course not without a faux- farewell/ expected- unexpected encore to keep their loyal disciples on their toes. The inevitable dig for victory in their final minutes saw Squid stretch back in time once more for Narrator, off their ambitious debut Bright Green Field. Aside from the raucous display the track managed to conjure up below, it also served as an important reminder of the band’s triumph in evolution. It’s no wonder the band have made such a momentous mark on the genre over recent years.
"Fusing their off- kilter dynamics and unconventional charms, there is both treachery and certitude in the landscape the band has created"
For their final and sweetest breath, Squid unfurled something inexplicable with album closer Well Met (Fingers Through The Fence). Even when I first heard the track on record, I sensed an almighty weight to the piece; live, this sense was only amplified. Reaching levels of grandeur never quite previously tasted, the cinematic composition was all encompassing. Witnessing the scene became an exercise in wonder and adulation. As my first experience seeing the band in an indoor setting, I could not have hoped for more.
Squid’s growth over the years has been a thing of wonder to observe. Now on their third album, they dare to linger in the uncomfortable. Fusing their off- kilter dynamics and unconventional charms, there is both treachery and certitude in the landscape the band has created. Squid are on the path to places unexplored. If I were you, I’d follow them along for that journey.
The following dates on their Cowards tour remain, grab one while you can!
February:
27 – Oxford, O2 Academy
28 – Southampton, Engine Rooms
March:
1 – Margate, Lido
2 – Brighton, Chalk
4 – Birmingham, XOYO
5 – Bristol, Beacon
April:
26 – London, Roundhouse
Alice Beard
Edited by Alice Beard
Images 1 & 3 courtesy of Sarah Hoglesby, Image 2 courtesy of Caroline Safran
Comments