Bleep

Squid had a fantastic 2019. The band’s Town Centre EP cemented their status as a vital new voice in the British musical underground, and at the end of the year, they inked a deal with Warp Records. As such, latest single ‘Sludge’ is a first on two counts - both Squid’s first new music of the new decade and the first thing they’ve released with Warp.

Those who got an earful of Town Centre will know that there are two sides to Squid’s sound. They’ve got the knack for lively, driving post-punk, but at times the group also break into an ersatz take on jazz which owes a clear debt to The Lounge Lizards. Going against its title, ‘Sludge’ falls very much in the former camp. This track is driven by a louche lurch of a groove, all humming bass and wah-wah guitars and insistent licks of percussion.

Urged on by the backing, Squid’s vocalist/Drummer Ollie Judge prowls at the front of the mix here. His yipped sing-shout vocal style is erratic and arresting, combining the high-wire conversationalism of Mark E. Smith with the wide-eyed frenzy of The Pixies’ Black Francis. This barely-hinged delivery gives an additional air of body-horror to lyrics already potent with surreal imagery - everything from teeth scraped out of mouths to celebrity chefs in his bed.

Squid announce their signing to Warp Records with the chugging post-punk masterclass of new single ‘Sludge’.