The first time I heard Fenian, the new album from Kneecap, was at a listening party in January. It was a private thing- mainly press and industry, I think- in the back room of an LA pub where the album played once and I spent the bus ride home scribbling notes about the album’s clubby flow, its nods to ‘90s hip-hop- there’s definitely a Wu-Tang energy in there – and the killer drum ’n’ bass track in the middle of Fenian. This isn’t an overstatement or the result of a hype-buzz, but I was genuinely excited for the new album.
The second time I heard Fenian was roughly three months later, on the album’s May 1 release date. In between, I had amassed the digital singles- the album’s title track is now one of my current favorites to play when I DJ at Underground– and scrolled through enough posts that half my Instagram timeline would have me convinced that this is the most anticipated album of the year. TBH, I’m not sure if that’s the case for anyone but myself. But, whatever. Fenian is top-tier album.
Let’s start with the flow of Fenian. The 43-minute album plays out as a sonic arc that’s similar to the flow of club night. You have what we’ll refer to as Part I, the first four songs, which are hip-hop and trip-hop in style, easing you into the album. “Liars Tale,” previously released as a single, brings up the tempo and kicks off Part II, which continues with the house bangers “Fenian” and “Big Bad Mo,” peaks with the energetic af drum ’n’ bass track “Headcase” and calms down bit with the techno-tinged “An Ra.” For Part III, Kneecap lowers the tempo and veers into more straightforward, although still clever and captivating, hip-hop, concluding with “Irish Goodbye,” a touching song where Móglaí Bap addresses the death of his mother. (An “Irish Goodbye” short film was also released this past week.)
There’s a good NME interview with Kneecap up on YouTube where the band is asked if they wish they could just a be a party band and Mo Chara responds, “In an ideal world, but we don’t live in an ideal world.” That’s a sentiment that’s reflected throughout the album. Fenian sounds like a rager, just in terms of the beats they use and the energy of the music. But, the subject matter is, frequently, heavy and political. Even when you can’t understand the lyrics, you get that “Palestine” isn’t a light-hearted song. Meanwhile, at least one song on the album, “Carnival,” deals with last year’s brouhaha in the aftermath of the group’s Coachella performance. But, maybe one of the big misconception of our time is that party music and politics don’t go together. I think that Kneecap makes a good case that they do.
Another misconception is that Kneecap is some sort of outrageous, controversial group. Calling out Israel on committing genocide in Palestine shouldn’t be controversial. It’s what is happening and trying to deny, excuse or defend that is actually what should be getting people canceled. But, we live in a peak age for stupidity, where people will take you seriously just because you’re rich and were on a reality TV show, so Sharon Osbourne sheds some crocodile tears on social media and news outlets start reporting on Kneecap like they’re an enemy to society. Then, after seeing that the group is actually popular, the same mainstream outlets cover them while also covering their asses without any sense of irony. That a recent NPR interview asked if the band “regrets” speaking out about Gaza and then inserts an editor’s note stating Israel’s denial of starving the people of Gaza adds another level of absurdity to the situation addressed in songs like “Carnival.”
But, I think all that nonsense is a testament to what Kneecap is doing right now with Fenian. They made an excellent album in the middle of a shitstorm, they’ve stayed true to their beliefs *and* their fanbase is growing. They’re showing that you don’t have to be a sellout and that’s the band’s most admirable trait.
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Follow on Instagram or sign up for the weekly, Beatique newsletter for updates on new stories and gigs.
Listen to Beatique, April 2026 on Mixcloud, featuring music from Slayyyter, Kneecap, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Armand Van Helden and more.
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