Fine Art (Kneecap album)
2024 studio album by Kneecap
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Fine Art is the debut studio album by Irish Hip-hop trio Kneecap, released on 14 June 2024 through Heavenly Recordings.[4] It is produced by Toddla T and includes guest appearances by Radie Peat, Grian Chatten, Nino, and Jelani Blackman. The album received positive reviews from critics and debuted at number two in Ireland.[5]
- Bell Brothers (London)
- The Clinic (Dublin)
| Fine Art | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 14 June 2024 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 37:46 | |||
| Language |
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| Label | Heavenly | |||
| Producer | Toddla T | |||
| Kneecap chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Fine Art | ||||
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Critical reception
Fine Art received a score of 79 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eight critics' reviews, which the website categorised as "generally favourable" reception.[6] Mojo opined that "the wild times end on a poignant, giddy high with 'Parful' – a house-y banger raving about everyday hedonism transcending sectarian violence – an irresistible distillation of Kneecap's peacetime party music".[9] Uncut called it "overly indebted to its inspirations – among them Ghetts, Stormzy and the Streets – it may be, but the stroppy 'I Bhfiacha Linne' and 'Rhino Ket', a moody techno/dancehall hybrid, are hard to deny".[12]
Andrew Trendell of NME gave Fine Art a full five stars, praising the album's rave qualities and for keeping the Irish language alive, adding that it "couldn’t sound any more alive...That’s power – and Kneecap have it".[14] DIY's Lisa Wright described the album as "in its own warped way, as its title suggests: a fully-immersive, conceptual production that, much like their recent Sundance award-winning biopic, is far, far too clever to just be the work of three miscreants".[8] Chris Sneddon of The Skinny found that it "has its ups and downs, it can be deep, it can be controversial, but in the long run, it's a good laugh and a thumping good time" as well as "a banging collision of rap and rave music".[2]
Year-end lists
| Publication/critic | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Line of Best Fit | Best Albums of the Year 2024 | 46 | [15] |
| Louder Than War | Top 100 Albums of 2024 | 44 | [16] |
| Mondo Sonoro | Best International Albums of 2024 | 48 | [17] |
| NME | 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 13 | [18] |
| Rough Trade UK | Albums of the Year 2024 | 26 | [19] |
| The Skinny | 20 Albums of 2024 | 4 | [20] |
| The Sunday Times | 25 Best Albums of 2024 | 5 | [21] |
| The Telegraph | 10 Best Albums of 2024 | 10 | [22] |
| Vogue | The 36 Best Albums of 2024 | N/a | [23] |
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Kneecap; "Harrow Road" lyrics written with Jelani Blackman.
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "3CAG" (featuring Radie Peat) |
| 3:08 |
| 2. | "Fine Art" | Kneecap | 2:19 |
| 3. | "Interlude: Making Headlines" |
| 0:27 |
| 4. | "I bhFiacha Linne" |
| 3:07 |
| 5. | "Interlude: Never Gets a Round" |
| 0:24 |
| 6. | "I'm Flush" |
| 2:56 |
| 7. | "Interlude: State of Ya" |
| 0:13 |
| 8. | "Better Way to Live" (featuring Grian Chatten) |
| 2:56 |
| 9. | "Sick in the Head" |
| 2:32 |
| 10. | "Love Making" (featuring Nino) |
| 2:27 |
| 11. | "Interlude: Amhrán na Scadán" |
| 0:24 |
| 12. | "Drug Dealin Pagans" |
| 2:33 |
| 13. | "Interlude: Kneecap Chaps" |
| 0:37 |
| 14. | "Harrow Road" (featuring Jelani Blackman) |
| 3:45 |
| 15. | "Parful" |
| 3:19 |
| 16. | "Rhino Ket" |
| 3:07 |
| 17. | "Interlude: Last Orders" |
| 0:15 |
| 18. | "Way Too Much" |
| 3:17 |
| Total length: | 37:46 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Parful" (David Holmes remix) | 4:56 |
| 2. | "Better Way to Live" (featuring Grian Chatten; Sam Interface remix) | 3:28 |
| 3. | "Better Way to Live" (featuring Grian Chatten; Sam Interface dub) | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Sick in the Head" (Jonah Swilley remix) | 2:42 |
| Total length: | 14:35 | |
Notes
- On physical editions, the interludes do not include "Interlude" in the title and are listed as unnumbered tracks.
- "3CAG" contains a sample of "Caravan" by Joe O'Donnell.
- "I bhFiacha Linne" contains a sample of "Cübik" by 808 State.
- "Harrow Road" contains elements from "Creeper" by Nick Detnon.
- "Parful" contains excerpts from the film Dancing on Narrow Ground written and directed by Des Bell.
- A demo of "Glue Man" was included as a bonus track on digital downloads of the album during its first week of release.[24]
Personnel
Kneecap
- Móglaí Bap – vocals
- Mo Chara – vocals
- DJ Próvaí – vocals
Additional contributors
- Toddla T – production, mixing
- James Eager – engineering
- Tom Coll – drums ("I'm Flush", "Better Way to Live")
- Adrian McLeod – synthesizer, keyboards ("I'm Flush", "Way Too Much"); piano ("Better Way to Live", "Way Too Much"), synth bass, synth pad ("Better Way to Live"), bass ("Way Too Much")
- Grian Chatten – vocals ("Better Way to Live")
- Andy Nicholson – bass ("Better Way to Live")
- Steven Loughrin – flute ("Drug Dealin Pagans")
- Manchán Magan – guest vocals ("Drug Dealin Pagans")
- Lisa Canny – choir ("Way Too Much")
- Saara Kaldma – choir ("Way Too Much")
- Gertrud Aasaroht – choir ("Way Too Much")
- Tony McHugh – choir ("Way Too Much")
- Colin Andrews – choir ("Way Too Much")
- Aoife O'Dea – choir ("Way Too Much")
Charts
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Albums (OCC)[25] | 2 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[26] | 3 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[27] | 43 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[28] | 3 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[29] | 1 |