Cowards
A dark, cinematic evolution of post-punk. Squid trades their frantic, hyper-kinetic energy for creeping dread, dissonant chamber strings, and eerie folk-horror narratives.
A dark, cinematic evolution of post-punk. Squid trades their frantic, hyper-kinetic energy for creeping dread, dissonant chamber strings, and eerie folk-horror narratives.
Gothic departure
Cold, scraping violin bows and low woodwinds replace the band's usual frantic sweat, pulling you into a damp, English gothic fog. These songs don't explode; they creep like shadows across floorboards. It is a claustrophobic, cinematic shift where quiet dread feels far more dangerous than their loudest punk screams.
Rather than relying on their usual abstract fragments, the band anchors this record in vivid storytelling, weaving narrative vignettes that read like grim, gothic short stories.
Critics warmly embraced the album as a compelling evolution for the band, widely praising its patient restraint and richly atmospheric tension. Reviewers were particularly captivated by how the record pairs dark, unsettling thematic vignettes with an ambitious experimental direction that reveals new depths with each listen.
“They could have phoned it in. Released an album full of “Houseplants,” “The Dial,” or “The Cleaner” type songs. But where is the fun in that? Instead, they’ve pushed themselves to release something daring instead. No cowards here. Only bangers!”Read review
“Building on the sociopolitical themes of previous LPs, the UK post-punks’ latest frames even heavier subject matter—the nature of evil itself—in darkly dazzling songs at once ominous and luxurious”Read review
“Cowards is the ideal album that a band in Squid’s position would put out: one that builds on the ideas that defined in their first two albums, but doesn’t stay comfortable in what they know best”Read review
“Their third studio album is a collection of vignettes about cult leaders, sociopaths and cannibals”Read review
“A testament to artistic ambition, the five-piece’s experimental third effort reveals more of itself with each enchanting listen”
“Like a horror film, Cowards is a lesson in restraint. It builds dread with slight but sudden stabs, scrapes, and bubbling bass, and rarely gives you the pleasure of a cathartic release. It’s a long way from the funky chaos of “Houseplants”, and it’s all the more interesting for it”Read review
“On Cowards, Squid reveal themselves as possibly the most forward-thinking and artistic band of the new post-punk explosion. It’s not an easy ride, but few of the best things are. The tentacles are calling; be brave, open your eyes, and dive into the inky darkness”Read review
“Squid are still in the early part of their career, but with each record, they’ve shown a remarkable adaptability and willingness to change, without losing what makes them special”Read review
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