Kneecap

Irish rap trio Kneecap made their international breakthrough in 2024, when their self-titled film premiered at Sundance and won the NEXT Audience Award, and the ambitious full-length Fine Art was released to a similar level of acclaim. The trio identify as Irish republicans, and their songs are in favor of their countrys freedom from British rule, while recognizing the daily struggle of the working class. Theyre also extremely hedonist and like to take drugs, party hard, and act like hooligans. The film is a dramatized version of the story of Kneecaps formation and rise, with the rappers playing themselves. The soundtrack album features several Kneecap tracks, incidental music, snippets of film dialogue, and a handful of songs by other artists. It plays somewhat like a condensed audiobook version of the film, touching on its various plot points while giving a spotlight to the bands rowdy, club-informed hip-hop. Selections from Fine Art appear, sometimes in different versions, as well as early Kneecap singles like "C.E.A.R.T.A" (an Irish-language track that was the subject of controversy when it was banned from the radio due to drug references and cursing) and the drumnbass-ish "H.O.O.D." Non-Kneecap selections include tracks by punk-rap ranters Dirty Faces, folk ensemble the Bonny Men, post-punks Fontaines D.C. (whose frontman Grian Chatten is featured on Kneecaps "Better Way to Live"), and melancholy rave classics by Bicep and Orbital (though the physical edition of the soundtrack includes the dialogue-laced version of "Belfast" included in the film). Somewhat perversely, one of the films action scenes is set to the Prodigys "Smack My Bitch Up," but with the title phrase edited out -- the song is absent on the soundtrack album. "Fall in Love Again," a striking soul ballad by Alanna Royale, seems like a strange inclusion compared to the rest of the album, but its welcome nonetheless. The well-sequenced Kneecap soundtrack ends up being more entertaining than the groups proper releases. ~ Paul Simpson

昨年のアルバム『Kneecap』が各所で高い評価を得たアイルランド発ラップ・トリオのニュー・リリースは、なんと自分たちを題材とした半自伝的な映画のサントラ。本編はすでに2024年のサンダンス映画祭やゴールウェイ映画祭などで高い評価を得ているそうで、本人たちの楽曲はもちろん、バイセップやフォンテインズDC、オービタルらの楽曲も収録されています。
bounce (C)大原かおり