Bright Green Field
by Squid
  • Record Label: Warp
  • Release Date: May 7, 2021
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 65 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 65
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 65
  3. Negative: 1 out of 65
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  1. austior
    May 7, 2021
    9
    Beautiful and unsettling, vibe in the same ballpark as black midi. Instrumentation is very interesting, there's like a brass ensemble in there, also a sprinkling of polymeter and some 7/8 time. Will be listening again.
  2. NWLondon
    May 8, 2021
    10
    Astonishing blend of genres (Talking heads, Sonic Youth, Aphex Twin, Miles Davis) and it all mashes perfectly. This is an Album best listened to in one go, end to end.
  3. mcpooja
    May 8, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the most creative and well thought-out albums from this year. Mixing in influences from post-punk as well as math rock, indie rock and even jazz, Bright Green Field is a brilliant way to kick off a group's studio album discography. Squid could be a major band to look out for in the coming years if we are being hit with this level of innovation right out of the gate. This album is also very ambitious, having quite a few tracks that exceed the usual track length with multi-phased and dynamic passages within each, showing that they're really pulling off this new revival of post-punk experimentation. Whether it's the track "Narrator" with it's shouted and demented vocals or the final track "Pamphlets" where layers and layers of instrumentation are introduced, this album is sure to make a lot of year-end lists and it's not hard to see why, Will definitely be listening again.… Expand
  4. Andymaths147
    May 8, 2021
    10
    Squid have delivered a genuinely astonishing (and brave) record here. One of the finest debuts ever, it is packed with ideas and surprises throughout. It also benefits from repeated listens and as you keep listening you do find yourself listening deeper and deeper into the thickly layered soundscapes. Everyone whose ears work properly should adore this!
  5. CerpinTaxtAlive
    May 9, 2021
    10
    This album is like an evolution from the sound of the post-punk. It's beautiful in the rythms and the textures, but the sounds seem made out of isolation, and together everything sound cohesive, to the point of leaving you with a sensation of the human life and what are we transforming into, something that I only felt with OK Computer.
    Give it a try.
  6. jimmypowder
    May 7, 2021
    10
    I haven't heard anything this fun and catchy with jazz and electronica inflections since the best early Beastie Boys albums.These Brighton boys got talent.
  7. petrichor1975
    Apr 4, 2023
    7
    Mixing elements of new wave, jazz, punk, and dance-rock, the debut LP from Squid is an enjoyable and interesting listen. The stomping "G.S.K." needs no introduction and calming "The Flyover" are among my favorites on the album. "Bright Green Field" is an interesting and fun blend of Talking Heads, Miles Davis, and the rougher side of LCD Soundsystem.
  8. MusicGuyMack
    May 12, 2021
    6
    Individual listeners' mileage may vary due to the record's willful strangeness lyrically and musically, but fans of Modest Mouse-style off-key shouted vocals and discordant guitar lines and horn accompaniments as well as anyone looking for a listening experience unlike any other they'll likely hear this year will find plenty to enjoy and/or ponder.
  9. Elioy
    May 31, 2021
    8
    Solid album, quite dispersive though. The boys really know how to play and be evocative, and this one's only their debut, so I expect them to grow bigger and bigger over the next years.
  10. Music_Nerd
    Jun 1, 2021
    10
    Its just a beautiful post-punk rock album and pathes the way for rock in the 2020s
  11. bailey-
    Jun 14, 2021
    7
    Great album in my opinion but I think a lot of the sounds and ideas get old towards the end of the album. Squid's sound is really good and while it's definitely not groundbreaking, it's still a good album. All I hope from the next album is that their sound can be more varied and also more varied vocals from Oliver Judge. I think his vocal delivery is definitely unique but it could be more varied.
  12. rvurs_eli
    May 13, 2021
    7
    Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in theLorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best Album of 2021
86
#86 Most Discussed Album of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Universal acclaim - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Slant Magazine
    Jun 24, 2021
    80
    Squid’s transformation into post-punk disruptors is indicative of a band that relentlessly bucks against their limits. To hear them ply their craft on Bright Green Field, the album represents a crystallization of that impulse.
    Read full review
  2. Dusted Magazine
    May 14, 2021
    80
    The band is very good, good enough to pull off this edge-of-your-seat flirtation with breakdown.
    Read full review
  3. Pitchfork
    May 11, 2021
    80
    Even amid all these choices, Squid’s spinouts are orchestrated stunts, never heady jam-band accidents. More than a canonized style, it’s their level of control that sets them apart.
    Read full review
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