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Cowards Image
Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: The third full-length release from British post punk-band Squid was produced by Marta Salogni and Grace Banks and features contributions from Pozi's Rosa Brook, Clarissa Connelly, Zands Duggan, Tony Njoku and the Ruisi Quartet.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Feb 3, 2025
    100
    There'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.
  2. Feb 5, 2025
    90
    They’ve pushed themselves to release something daring instead. No cowards here. Only bangers!
  3. Feb 6, 2025
    82
    It’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.
  4. Mojo
    Feb 3, 2025
    80
    Cowards is all killer, both musically and thematically. [Mar 2025, p.84]
  5. Feb 6, 2025
    80
    Whilst 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.
  6. 80
    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.
  7. Feb 12, 2025
    76
    Squid’s most wide-ranging album yet, and somehow still the one that hits closest to home.

See all 16 Critic Reviews

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