Squid’s “Sludge” is perhaps the perfect isolation soundtrack (American Football’s “Stay Home” a close second). The band, in collaboration with visual artist Ali Amiri, have unveiled an intimate look of fans’ lockdown settings: set against the raucous noise of “Sludge”.
The video’s settings change minutely, from desolate farm to desolate suburbs. Squid summarise this one constant of the video perfectly as a “lingering feeling of loneliness and uncertainty”, a worthy comment for this year even. “Sludge”’s vivacity contrasts this despair, making a largely impersonal time as now, truly personal. Of course, we are all unified by the same lockdown regimes, clinging even more to superficial faces of “celebrity chefs” and the like. Squid’s characteristic cacophony of percussion fulminates in a liberating screech, one many of us have (or have wanted to) replicate in these past months. The video concludes by matching the music’s naturally enveloping hysteria in a captivating, technicolor whirl.
After acquiring a spot on the BBC’s “Sound of 2020” long list, Squid will continue unfettered by the pandemic, with more math/post-punk goodness set for the coming months. Enjoy the video below.
Sludge is out now via Warp Records
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