Squid are back and they’re hungry for more. This entire second offering pushes the bounds of their
creativity to new heights. Emerging from their manic debut Bright Green Field much of their core
sound remains, but new leaves have sprung and are grasping for light in different directions. Alice Beard shares her thoughts.
Within the clamour of noise, O Monolith brings forth a newfound swagger that wades through the record with an unshakeable confidence. Diving straight in, Swing (In a Dream) feels at first uncertain, but it rapidly develops into a rich bed of sound to get listeners sitting back comfortably. The tracks mechanic rhythm is offset by fluttering guitar riffs and a convulsion of synths which together float and dance until you are completely submerged into this experimental new territory. The layers of electronics which seep in and out of focus weave a complex fabric of urgency throughout the track. This impatience builds and builds throughout, only to be swiftly unwound in one final moody release which sets the scene for the rest of the album.
Devil’s Den is a menacing addition to the collection. It’s a song that slithers and writhes before ultimately shaking you from your previous trance and throwing you into the depths of cacophony. Taking its name from a neolithic Wiltshire monument, this track is brimming with references to English folklore and paganism.
This connection to good old English nature binds the album together, with attempts to reach forth and cling to tradition appearing recurrent throughout. This marks a change in direction from the themes of urban suffocation examined in their debut work.
Spacey slow-burner Siphon Song is similarly haunting but this time predicting an unsettling future.
Whilst the previous track told stories of the past, this would be more than apt as a tale of modern
folk horror. Robotic narration atop waning, wailing voices navigate this tale of internet paranoia and
the numbness it brings along. Although at points this track may appear to be skating thinly on
monotonous territory, the mundane nature of this piece only helps to mirror its inspiration and carry
forth an overhanging sense of dread.
We are taken on a brief excursion with the eruption of Undergrowth. The rumbling bass is the hook
which leads us on a path down this trail of animism. The exploration of this theme ties up the
spiritual essence which anchors much of this album. In this case, vocalist and drummer Ollie Judge
imagines being confined to a tired existence as a bedside table- ‘put your thumb and fingers around
my neck/ the wooden knob on a cabinet’. It is repetitive, bleak and experiences only momentary
flashes of fury yet this forms a further reflection on the banal prospects of the subject matter.
Whilst familiar elements extracted from Bright Green Field remain, many of the songs from this
startling evolution place melodic expression at the forefront. Pieces like The Blades and Green Light
are run jagged with pessimism and yet a sense of tenderness still manages to emerge through the
movement. Judge’s vocals in particular teeter towards newfound vulnerability, taking this gentler
grain in a warm embrace. These new arrangements possess complex layering of synths and flickering
brass embellishments which illuminate each member’s courage in their search for musical solitude.
After the Flash became a standout track to me after only two listens. The tension contained in this
track alone is a credit to the bands curiosity and brazen desire to ascend to broader frontiers.
O Monolith hits you with instant appeal. It possesses an immense gleam of power and certitude
which remains on the skin, a stain that refuses to leave. It’s an album that finds Squid flirting with
softer tones. Their daring artistic growth has led to the blooming of a spiritual piece which ultimately
puts into question humans and their connection to nature. Unpredictable and exhilarating all the
same, this record’s message may appear blurry at times, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Squid are a band which cannot be pinpointed on today’s musical map. Set without bounds or constraints,
the quintet have set their own place amidst a busy landscape. They have revealed themselves as creatures of folklore on the Post-Punk scene.
Alice Beard
Edited by Olivia Hannant, Image: O Monolith Official Album Cover
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