Album Review: KNEECAP - 'FENIAN'
Belfast-Derry trio Kneecap are holding back no punches with third album FENIAN, it’s bolder, darker, funnier than ever…and undoubtedly their best work yet.
Ever since their 2025 Coachella set and the British Government’s failed attempt to charge one of the trio, Mo Chara, with terrorism, it has felt like the whole world has been watching Kneecap. The trio’s rise to fame was subtle at first, following their hilarious biopic film, and then suddenly they skyrocketed to the centre of media attention due to how boldly they spoke out against the UK and US governments, completely unafraid of the backlash that would follow.. Their third album, FENIAN, is the outcome of that backlash and shows them firmly standing their ground against the oppressors.
FENIAN starts with the gorgeous, hypnotic Éire go Deo, which translates to "Ireland Forever." It feels almost spoken word, set behind a wavey, pulsing beat and ethereal female vocals repeating Éire go Deo throughout, almost chant-like. It’s a rallying cry for the Irish language, the importance of its existence and the need to keep it alive. Which is, among many others, one of Kneecap’s primary goals. It bleeds straight into the powerhouse track, Smugglers & Scholars, which was the trio’s second single to be released from the album.
Smugglers & Scholars kicks the album off with an almighty bang, opening with heavy, ominous, industrial hip-hop beats, using the music to replicate the sound of guns and police sirens, all of it held together by the dirty bass riff and na buachaillí's (the boys') intense vocals. It sheds a poignant light on the Troubles, and the unity of the Irish people during those times, coming together to fight for a better future “Now all the boys in black at the shops / with petrol bombs and their favourite rocks…Seo Fenian gluaiseacht (this is a Fenian movement).” It’s a tale from the past that relates directly to our current reality.
And it’s important to note that before becoming a derogatory word for the Irish people, Fenians (Fianna) were warriors in Irish folklore, and Kneecap not only naming their album and one of the tracks FENIAN, but using it consistently throughout the album (and their previous work) is a simple and really poetic form of protest.
After Smugglers & Scholars, Kneecap lead us from Ireland’s Troubles straight to the Carnival, a Massive Attack-style track that reflects on the recent attempts by the British Government to prosecute Mo Chara, as well as using Kneecap to distract from their involvement in Israel’s genocide of Gaza.
There is a grittier, more progressive sound on this album compared to Kneecap’s earlier work; it is darker, heavier, more precise, fuelled by anger, frustration, as well as determination. This is all quite evident on Carnival, which opens with the voice of an English judge calling Mo Chara to the stand. The judge pronouncing Mo Chara’s name incorrectly is a nice and necessary dig at the Brits' dismissal of the Irish Language, while the sound of protestors chanting “Free Mo Chara, free, free Mo Chara” between verses adds to the intensity of the track. Kneecap labels the British Government a “circus of distractions / away from their actions they’ll lead you.” While Mógalí Bap, defending his friend and bandmate, sheds light on the government consistently targeting the wrong side, “investigate the people joining armies…instead of those opposing fucking genocide.”
The ongoing genocide in Palestine is further addressed in their song Palestine ft. FAWZI. It’s a chill-inducing track from the moment it begins, a mix of Irish and Arabic, it symbolises not only the strong relationship between Ireland and Palestine, but their similar shared histories. Kneecap have consistently spoken up for Palestine and against Israel, the US and the UK and in doing so have been unfairly labelled as sceimhlitheoirí (terrorists), live performances censored and almost banned, taken to court, US Visas revoked, smear campaigns against them…the list goes on. Yet, none of this has stopped them; there simply is no stopping them. The track Palestine is fearless, honest, a statement made by the band, “Ní stopfamid go mbeidh gach duine saor”, which translates to “we will not stop until everyone is free.” There’s no arguing it, and you're either with Kneecap or you're not in this fight for freedom (if you’re not, I think you’re listening to the wrong album).
Liars Tale, the first single released from the album, is a fiery, acid-house track that’s once again aimed at the British Government, calling out their lies and hypocrisy, particularly on the subject of Israel’s ongoing genocide of Gaza. Despite Kier Starmer and the rest of the British Government’s attempts to silence Kneecap over the last year, the band are not standing down. The British Government have only added fuel to Kneecap’s fire, and they’ve used that fire to produce one momentous track after another. Title track FENIAN comes next, and if any of the tracks were to get you itching to go raving in a festival field, it’ll certainly be this one. It’s infectious, fun and full of Irish Pride.
Kneecap keep up the momentum throughout the album, going into Big Bad Mo, a massive acid-house track that certainly takes you on a trip, bringing you straight into Headcase. Both tracks already feel destined for late nights/early mornings at festivals, raves, house parties, with the latter track being a brilliant yet hectic piece of music focusing on addiction and how it can end up being your ruin. Despite the name, An Ra is not what you might think it’s about. It’s a blistering piece of satire, taking aim at the Ríocht Aontaithe (United Kingdom). Kneecap don’t hold back, firing punches left, right and centre at the Brits, focusing on their history of colonialism, far-right leadership and toxic capitalism “fish & chips / TV license / UKIP / mental health crisis / good shit / high rent prices.” It’s a fierce, almost venomous, diss-track disguised as a pure bop.
Cold At The Top carries an old-school hip-hop vibe to it, a satirical, self-deprecating tale on the narcissism and often the self-imposed isolation that comes with fame, “dún do bhéal / ciúin / never know when there’s a rat.” Mo Chara and Mógalí Bap flow easily with each other between verses, all backed by the hypnotic trance beat provided by DJ Próvai. Occupied 6 is heavy in beat and in theme, the violence that comes with living under British Occupation and the trauma of war backed up by a seismic, bone-rattling mix of beats.
The Belfast-Derry trio have long been advocates for the Irish Language, and their music is one of the many reasons so many people are now keen to learn or relearn their mother tongue. With Gael Phonics, the trio take Irish lessons into their own hands with punchy lyrics and a raw, 90s hip-hop beat, “fuck the duo lingo bird / he be talking some shit / stick this on repeat, and you’ll be fluent / getting lit.”
Cocaine Hill has a wavey, somewhat anxiety-inducing beat to accurately represent the all-consuming panic and anxiety that comes with a big night out. It’s twitchy, unsettling, with the addition of Radie Peat’s vocals on the chorus giving it a haunting, eerie feel. FENIAN comes ot a close with the gorgeous, tender Irish Goodbye, that features Kae Tempest. It’s both light and heavy at the same time, capturing the weight of grief that comes with losing a loved one without getting to say a proper goodbye, “mo chuisle, mo chroi / she was the making of me / how come it’s always the best of us that can’t bear to be.”
FENIAN is rebellious, intelligent, fearless, poignant. It’s inherently Kneecap at its core, but it’s darker, heavier, more serious. After the turbulence of the last year, the band have grown, and it shows throughout FENIAN. It’s their most serious work yet, and necessary. It’s proof that they’re not afraid to take risks, no matter who it upsets or offends, they’re not just a performative act.
Kneecap’s beliefs and what they stand for shine throughout FENIAN. It’s an album that will play a significant part in history, along with the band that made it.
Words by Angela English
