Discovering Kneecap, Fine Art, and Reflections on Irishness
It wasn’t until I watched their fictionalized biopic film towards the end of 2024 that Kneecap even came under my radar. I had probably heard about them in passing before then, but it really took that film for them to spark an interest in me. After seriously enjoying the film, I immediately fell in love - Fine Art became one of my most listened to albums of the past year, and I even got to see them live at AFAS in November towards the end of 2025.
Kneecap’s music had really influenced me since I discovered them. I had held a real disdain for the Irish language when leaving secondary school and I wasn’t until moving abroad that my longing for it would reveal itself. It took a few years for me to really understand these uncertain feelings that sat with me, but Kneecap’s music and their movement in general for Irish language reclamation really made me reflect on some of the broader, systemic and institutional histories that have resulted in the current state of the language’s place in our country. This eventually led to me working on an Irish Language Learning TTRPG concept with a good friend of mine, which would later become the focus of a research project in my Comparative Literary Studies Masters where I conducted some research on the state of the Irish language curriculum. All to say that while I am far from fluent in Irish, my interest and love for the language and our cultural identity has found its second wind in recent years, and I have Kneecap to thank as a major player in that.
Needless to say, I was very excited for the release of their second studio album, Fenian. I had sort of just stumbled upon Fine Art, but this time around I was already a Kneecap fan, an avid listener, and in touch with the release cycle of this album, its singles, and the marketing and buzz that preceded it. It took some time for me to actually get around to listening to the entire album, but now that I have I wanted to jot down my thoughts and reflections on the whole thing.
Thoughts on FENIAN
All in all I loved this project. To start, the imagery and general aesthetic of this album from the initial promo material was just fantastic. The harsh red and black, alongside the stark image of a blindfolded DJ Próvai really set a darker tone for this project that really juxtaposes the bold, proud, celebratory aesthetic of Fine Art. This carries through into the music itself, which pivots to a much darker, grim, dystopian sound - akin to the themes of complicity and malignant institutional and political realities. I need not give a recap of Kneecap’s political involvements over the past year, but know that the resentment and animosity they’ve been subjected to (whether that be denied visa access to the states, or coming under terrorist charges in the UK) is channelled into this project - maintaining their loud and proud rejection of oppressors, except this time they’re out for blood.
The album bounces between these poles of this new darker sound, and that classic but refined bombastic Kneecap attitude, and honestly, it medleys together extremely well. While I don’t think this album compares to the pacing and momentum of Fine Art, which really created an imagined space and narrative to its album through its interludes that created the atmosphere of a pub watching on at Kneecap’s efforts from the sidelines, I think it has done an excellent job at sinking its teeth into the real discourse surrounding the group. Where Fine Art felt more akin to the fictionalized aesthetic of the film, Fenian feels like an album that is real and intentional. Not to say their previous efforts haven’t been, but right now the stakes are higher than ever, and this project feels like the balaclava has escaped the picture frame it was placed in for Fine Art, and is now wild and running the streets.
I typically really like these dark synth dystopian sounds akin to some Carpenter Brut stuff or Justice’s Neverender album, and so have really enjoyed the soundscape behind a lot of the sound of Fenian, and honestly can’t wait to give it another few listens. It’s also worth mentioning the harrowing Irish Goodbye that closes the album - a heartfelt ballad that touches on the tragic passing of Móglaí Bap’s mother. It reminded me a lot of the closing track of Soft Play’s Heavy Jelly, a reflective, heart wrenching track to close off an otherwise aggressive, project. Like on Heavy Jelly, it works extremely well here. The track is brutally sad, even moreso given the context, and I feel is an excellent closer to an album - grounding listeners in the reality that we are all people, and that loss can be overwhelming on large global scales, but also singular personal ones.
Just a few thoughts on an album I was really looking forward to and ultimately quite enjoyed! Looking forward to giving it a few more listens, and curious to see what sort of direction Kneecap are going to pivot in going forward. Hope those of you who had a read enjoyed, and hope some of you will consider giving the album a listen if you have yet to!
Have yourselves a good one, and bye bye.