Fine Art (Kneecap album)

Last updated

Fine Art
Kneecap - Fine Art.png
Studio album by
Released14 June 2024 (2024-06-14)
Studio
  • Bell Brothers (London)
  • The Clinic (Dublin)
Length37:46
Language
  • English
  • Irish
Label Heavenly
Producer Toddla T
Kneecap chronology
3CAG
(2018)
Fine Art
(2024)
Singles from Fine Art
  1. "Better Way to Live"
    Released: 15 November 2023
  2. "Sick in the Head"
    Released: 20 February 2024
  3. "Fine Art"
    Released: 27 March 2024
  4. "Love Making"
    Released: 1 May 2024

Fine Art is the debut studio album by Irish hip hop trio Kneecap, released on 14 June 2024 through Heavenly Recordings. [1] It includes guest appearances by Radie Peat, Grian Chatten, Nino, and Jelani Blackman. The album received positive reviews from critics and debuted at number 2 on the Irish albums chart. [2]

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 79/100 [3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Clash 6/10 [5]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [6]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [7]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [9]
RTÉ Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Skinny Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Uncut 7/10 [12]
Under the Radar Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]

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. [3] 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". [8] 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]

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". [6] 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". [11]

Year-end lists

Select 2024 year-end rankings for Fine Art
Publication/criticAccoladeRankRef.
The Line of Best Fit Best Albums of the Year 202446 [14]
Louder Than War Top 100 Albums of 202444 [15]
Mondo Sonoro Best International Albums of 202448 [16]
NME 50 Best Albums of 202413 [17]
Rough Trade UK Albums of the Year 202426 [18]
The Skinny 20 Albums of 20244 [19]
The Sunday Times 25 Best Albums of 20245 [20]
The Telegraph 10 Best Albums of 202410 [21]
Vogue The 36 Best Albums of 2024 [22]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Kneecap; "Harrow Road" lyrics written with Jelani Blackman.

Fine Art track listing
No.TitleMusicLength
1."3CAG" (featuring Radie Peat)3:08
2."Fine Art"Kneecap2:19
3."Interlude: Making Headlines"
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
0:27
4."I bhFiacha Linne"3:07
5."Interlude: Never Gets a Round"
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
0:24
6."I'm Flush"
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
  • Adrian McLeod
2:56
7."Interlude: State of Ya"
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
0:13
8."Better Way to Live" (featuring Grian Chatten)
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
  • McLeod
2:56
9."Sick in the Head"
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
  • McLeod
2:32
10."Love Making" (featuring Nino)
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
2:27
11."Interlude: Amhrán na Scadán"
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
0:24
12."Drug Dealin Pagans"
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
2:33
13."Interlude: Kneecap Chaps"
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
0:37
14."Harrow Road" (featuring Jelani Blackman)
3:45
15."Parful"
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
3:19
16."Rhino Ket"
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
3:07
17."Interlude: Last Orders"
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
0:15
18."Way Too Much"
  • Kneecap
  • Bell
  • McLeod
3:17
Total length:37:46

Notes

Personnel

Kneecap

Additional contributors

Charts

Chart performance for Fine Art
Chart (2024)Peak
position
Irish Albums (OCC) [24] 2
Scottish Albums (OCC) [25] 3
UK Albums (OCC) [26] 43
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [27] 3
UK R&B Albums (OCC) [28] 1

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References

  1. "KNEECAP'S DEBUT ALBUM 'FINE ART' IS OUT NOW! AND THE REVIEWS KEEP COMING!". Heavenly Recordings on Instagram . 19 June 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "Kneecap debut at number two on the Irish charts". RTÉ . 21 June 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024. Kneecap's debut album Fine Art has landed at the number two spot on the Irish charts after a closely fought battle with Taylor Swift.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. 1 2 "Fine Art by Kneecap Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  4. Simpson, Paul. "Fine Art Review by Paul Simpson". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  5. Murray, Robin (13 June 2024). "KNEECAP – Fine Art". Clash . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  6. 1 2 Wright, Lisa. "Kneecap – Fine Art review". DIY . Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  7. Mullally, Una (13 June 2024). "Kneecap: Fine Art review – Intimidatingly brilliant tribute to hedonism, identity and the pure joy of living fast". The Irish Times . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Kneecap – Fine Art". Mojo . July 2024. p. 94.
  9. Trendell, Andrew (14 June 2024). "Kneecap – 'Fine Art' review: poetry on the cubicle wall of a wild night out". NME . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  10. Corr, Alan (14 June 2024). "Kneecap make an exhibition of themselves on Fine Art". RTÉ . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  11. 1 2 Sneddon, Chris (12 June 2024). "Kneecap – Fine Art album review". The Skinny . Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Kneecap – Fine Art". Uncut . July 2024. p. 36.
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  22. Cafolla, Anna (20 December 2024). "The 36 Best Albums of 2024". Vogue . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  23. "KNEECAP include exclusive unreleased track in digital downloads of new album for this week only". Hot Press . 19 June 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
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