Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap have returned with a brand new single, ‘Liars Tale’, the first track to be released from their recently announced upcoming album Fenian. Aggressive, electronic,and ecstasy-filled, this latest release is certainly not shy in reminding fans of the band’s political stances.
Kicking off with a steady build-up of broken FX, the track begins with a sense of uncertainty, before leaping straight in with a single crashing effect. Immediately shattering the initially jumpy nature of the intro, the backing track shifts to the pulsating sound of a drum machine – one which the Belfast rappers have been keen to make use of in their recent releases.
Not only are the group’s recent releases exciting lyrically, but the musicianship behind them is a factor which truly sets them apart from earlier work. The leaning of the group towards more FX-heavy, drum machine-led backing tracks reminiscent of the early rave scene, truly makes for an exciting and refreshing listening experience.
Lyrically, this track is arguably the trio’s most rebellious to date, with seemingly every single verse containing a dig at UK, US, and Israeli politicians. The repeating, opening line of the chorus: “Níor chóir glacadh leis, níl maitheas ar bith / In their politics for you and me” (“It shouldn’t be accepted, there’s nothing good in their politics for you and me”) makes the purpose of the track clear: that people need to open their eyes and realise that politicians do not act in the interest of the average person.
Kneecap do not stop there, calling out Prime Minister Keir Starmer by labelling him “Netanyahu’s bitch and (a) genocide armer”. Starmer is not the first UK politician to be named and shamed in Kneecap’s music, and he likely won’t be the last.
Aside from the traditional moral divide between Irish people and UK politicians, the hip-hop trio maintain their own personal disagreements with the British government.
Originally stemming from the group’s first ever court case in which a revoked arts grant was disputed and won back on grounds of discrimination, the Belfastian’s have since not been shy of a UK court appearance.
Most notably, the trio have faced a series of trials on behalf of rapper Mo Chara (real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh) for his (now disproven) allegations of terrorism. These victories are undoubtedly contributing factors for the high-energy heard throughout the track, with the band admitting in a statement via Rolling Stone that the new album is a “considered response to those that tried to silence (them), and failed”.
The accompanying music video is equally phenomenal, a harsh, gritty, greyscale representation of the state of the world at the moment. Featuring the three musicians in a war with the paparazzi, fighting with chain fences, false reporting, overbearingly bright strobe-lighting, and even a zombified prop of Margaret Thatcher, the video is both a political masterpiece and an artistic nightmare.
Due to release on April 24 this year, the rapper’s sophomore album will face stiff competition from 2024’s Fine Art, however if ‘Liars Tale’ is anything to base expectations from, Fenian will be a masterpiece.
Words by George Connell
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