Fire (The Bug album)
Fire is a studio album by Kevin Martin under his alias The Bug. It was released on Ninja Tune on 27 August 2021.[1]
| Fire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 27 August 2021 | |||
| Length | 51:52 | |||
| Label | Ninja Tune | |||
| The Bug chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 85/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Clash | 8/10[4] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[5] |
| PopMatters | 9/10[6] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85, based on 9 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[2]
Tom Morgan, in PopMatters, describes Fire's "tone" as one of "pure, scorching heat", and observes that it treats of themes including climate change and sociopolitical tensions.[6] Morgan argues that Fire is Martin's "finest" as The Bug.
In Le Devoir, giving the album four stars, Philippe Renaud notes that the elements of grime, dancehall, and electronic music in Fire "add fuel to the fire" of Martin's "indignation".[7] JR Moores, in The Quietus, describes Fire as "like a direct sequel" to London Zoo (2008).[8]
The Quietus subsequently voted Fire as number 1 in their 100 favourite albums of 2021.[9]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Fourth Day" | 1:59 |
| 2. | "Pressure" | 3:48 |
| 3. | "Demon" | 3:48 |
| 4. | "Vexed" | 3:52 |
| 5. | "Clash" | 3:07 |
| 6. | "War" | 4:38 |
| 7. | "How Bout Dat" | 3:47 |
| 8. | "Bang" | 3:03 |
| 9. | "Hammer" | 3:26 |
| 10. | "G*nja Baby" | 3:16 |
| 11. | "F*ck Off" | 3:27 |
| 12. | "Bomb" | 4:46 |
| 13. | "High Rise" | 4:22 |
| 14. | "The Missing" | 4:33 |
| Total length: | 51:52 | |
References
- Minsker, Evan (29 June 2021). "The Bug Announces New Album Fire, Shares New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- "Fire by The Bug". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- Simpson, Paul. "The Bug – Fire". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- Murray, Robin (24 August 2021). "The Bug – Fire". Clash. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- Sherburne, Philip (1 September 2021). "The Bug: Fire". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- Morgan, Tom (26 August 2021). "The Bug's 'Fire' Is an Incendiary Reflection of a World Ablaze". PopMatters. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- Renaud, Philippe (27 August 2021). "Fire, The Bug". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- Moores, JR (26 August 2021). "Let The Wrecking Ball Loose: 'Fire' By The Bug". The Quietus. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- Doran, John (1 December 2021). "Quietus Albums Of The Year 2021". The Quietus. Retrieved 3 December 2021.