If you want to know what it’s like to watch musicians play with their instruments as if they were toys in a toy box, look no further than Squid. The UK quintet broke through in 2019 with the single “Houseplants,” propelled by drummer/vocalist Ollie Judge’s frantic drumming and panicked, scream-level vocal delivery. It could be easy enough for a band to revel in the never-ending mosh pits that would result every time they play the song, but 2021’s Bright Green Field and 2023’s O Monolith depict a band that’s increasingly interested with pushing into uncharted musical territory. Alongside openers Water From Your Eyes, the band demonstrated not just their interest, but their glee in challenging fans’ notions of their sound at their 9:30 Club show. Like it or not, Squid are going to weird and interesting places.

One thing that is notable about Squid is how much fun each of the band members are having on stage, both with their primary instrument and the supporting instruments and accessories surrounding them. Look away and keyboardist Arthur Leadbetter will have picked up a triangle or cowbell to furiously clang. Laurie Nankivell would trade in his bass for a trumpet, or even spend an entire song twiddling away at his extensive pedal board full of strange effects. And driving the wall of sound was Judge, the beating heart of the band who dictated the cadence with his powerful voice and snare hits. It feels like a miracle that he can perform day in and out, delivering the vocal intensity that songs like “Undergrowth”, “Peel St.”, and “G.S.K.” require without blowing out his vocal cords. Really, it all feels like a miracle, watching Squid veer in such wild directions throughout the course of a song, creating what can feel like a cacophony of sound that coalesces in the end to spectacular result. There’s no better treat than watching the chaos of Squid unfold on stage in real time.

Squid’s latest album O Monolith is out now on Warp Records. Water From Your Eyes’s latest album Everyone’s Crushed is out now through Matador Records.