Bright Green Field
Bright Green Field is restless music with a surprising amount of pleasure in it. Squid connect angular guitars, danceable rhythms, electronics and jazz-like sounds without smoothing over the changes. Ollie Judge's fierce voice adds to the tension. The record does not sound as though everyone always wants to move in the same direction, but the musicians know when their ideas need to meet.
After the short opening, G.S.K. attracts attention with its weighty rhythmic movement and brass. A guitar can briefly establish a recognisable pattern before disappearing again. The track shows the more playful side of the interaction while the vocals present a much more troubled picture of modern life. That contrast explains much of its appeal.
Narrator increases the tension. Guitars stutter and repeat before the voices move further outside their established shapes. Guest singer Martha Skye Murphy contributes more than a different sound. Her presence turns the development into a real collision, with room for restraint and screaming. The long track has a clear progression even as it sounds less controlled.
Halfway through Boy Racers, the earlier movement disappears into a much stranger electronic landscape. This is no brief diversion; Squid give that other world time to develop. Paddling then chooses a more physical rhythm, while Pamphlets ends the album with an increasingly fierce outburst.
The long forms and harsh singing ask for attention. Anyone expecting a few simple post-punk songs will encounter considerably more unrest. Yet the album remains clear enough to follow its changes. Familiar rhythms provide stability and the departures serve a purpose. Bright Green Field is an ambitious debut that turns curiosity into convincing music without losing the pleasure of playing together.
