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Jun 26, 2024 Web Exclusive By Matt the Raven

The Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap try their best to make sense of our chaotic world—often with blunt expressiveness—using somewhat minimalistic, beat-heavy percussives, keyboard sounds, and intentionally rasping loops, that build a platform for rants about prejudices, politics, and pop culture with indignation, humor, sarcasm, and honesty.

Comparisons can be made to other UK rap and punk acts such as Sleaford Mods (although Kneecap prefer to spew their poison at supersonic speed) and Slaves (aka Soft Play) (with beats just as jarring and Kneecap ditching the punk for hip-hop). It makes one wonder if screamo-cathartic-sarcastic-rap is actually a genre now.

But Kneecap are at their finest when they eschew this aesthetic and instead turn toward more ear-friendly beats and tuneful melodies such as heard on the exceptional single “Better Way to Live” that also features singer Grian Chatten of Fontaines D.C. and should be a track on everybody’s summer playlist. Other good tracks include opener “3CAG” (no relation to their previously released mixtape) that starts off innocently enough with a feathery light melody and a decidedly Irish flair that soars over a smoothly pulsating beat, the more playful “Parful,” “I’m Flush” with its beer bar sing-along chorus, and second single “Sick in the Head,” with smoother vocals and a slicker vibe.

Although unique and unapologetic—and occasionally quite clever—the 18 tracks on Fine Art (including a handful of short, pub chatter interludes) don’t stray too far from the screamo-cathartic-sarcastic-rap that is their calling card. (www.kneecap.ie)

Author rating: 6/10