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Feb 3, 2025There's nothing raw here; this is a band settling into their status as Britain’s new rock innovators. There seems little doubt that this will be their most influential record, and it feels reasonable to place them alongside the likes of Soft Machine, XTC and Spirit of Eden-era Talk Talk.
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Feb 5, 2025Yes, Squid have travelled the world, but they have also returned home with a sense of self that’s stronger than ever, as sharp as a razor dripping with freshly drawn blood.
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Feb 5, 2025They’ve pushed themselves to release something daring instead. No cowards here. Only bangers!
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Feb 4, 2025On 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.
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Feb 6, 2025It’s expansive, fascinating and reckless, while ever-aware of its human limitations and anxieties. The addition of the quartets, percussionists and extra voices create a lush camaraderie that makes the record feel united in its revels of shared evils and imperfections.
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Record CollectorFeb 24, 2025Ollie Judge's vocal drawl may remain slightly too post-punk 101, but otherwise Cowards teems with ideas that land. [Mar 2025, p.105]
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Feb 7, 2025Squid 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.
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Feb 7, 2025The whole time, instrumentally, Squid are pulling punches or letting loose at unexpected turns. Though more collaborative than their past works, the chaotic brew of ‘Cowards’ is still focused and potent.
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Feb 6, 2025Whilst some may pine for the intense and explosive krautrock of their debut, the adventurous spirit with which they tackle post-rock, fusion and a universe of soundscapes ensures that this is the most exciting and volatile the group has ever sounded.
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Feb 5, 2025Leaving behind krautrock and other prog influences, along with most of their post-Brexit new wave tricks, they have begun their journey toward a cohort of self-assured artists—ones who, thanks to their more expansive vision, no longer have to copy the paintings of great masters.
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Feb 5, 2025It 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.
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Feb 4, 2025Cowards is an album that takes multiple close listens to unearth the nuances of Squid’s third outing. While the songwriting steals the show, what the band is doing sonically is equally head-spinning.
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MojoFeb 3, 2025Cowards is all killer, both musically and thematically. [Mar 2025, p.84]
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UncutFeb 3, 2025An album that is as imaginative as it is innovative. [Feb 2025, p.39]
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Feb 3, 2025The songs won’t grab you or pull your hair. They’re barely touching you. They won’t even acknowledge that you’re there. And yet, they can sink deep into your cortex over time, haunting you like the nightmares you can’t remember and the words you wanted to write down but that fade completely as you open your eyes.
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Feb 12, 2025Squid’s most wide-ranging album yet, and somehow still the one that hits closest to home.
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