PREVIEW: Squid at Brighton Music Hall on 3/25
by Ethan Lam and Lola Nedic
Regardless of how you might label them or choose to describe their sound – post-punk, “crank-wave,” “punk-funk,” maybe even “post-Brexit” – Squid are at the forefront of a wildly exciting new sonic movement in the UK. With their shared vocal duties, abstract and frenzied half-shouted lyrics, and discordant-yet-immaculately-tight arrangements, Squid have quickly become ones to watch.
Squid first broke out in 2019 with their fiery single “Houseplants.” Bright Green Field, their first album which landed last year, is an exhilarating, eclectic, and unpredictable fireball of a debut. It easily landed amongst our (and many other critics) favorites. The album is a discordant account of life in a capitalist hellscape—it’s at times profound and at times extraordinarily daft. Tracks like “G.S.K.” highlight the looming presence of big pharma, while others like “Pamphlets” send the listener into a seemingly mild dystopia full of, well, pamphlets.
The band takes an egalitarian approach to songwriting and production. There is no true “lead” singer, and band members often take on multiple roles at once. Instead of writing songs together, members write them separately and then bring them together later on in the process. This unconventional method of production gives Squid a leg up over its peers in a rapidly growing post-punk wave.
Squid are currently touring the US in support of Bright Green Field. Be sure to catch them when they stop at Brighton Music Hall on March 25th.