ALBUM REVIEW: FIDLAR – TOO

6/10

ALBUM REVIEW: FIDLAR - TOO

FIDLAR are the American garage punk band from Los Angeles. Since formation in 2009, the band have epitomised Party music. The band have yet to change up their sound massively, from their early EP’s like DIYDUI from 2011 right up until their debut self-titled full length album from 2013. FIDLAR the album showcased a collection of fun, fast punk songs pretty much all about drinking, taking drugs and skateboarding. A while some might see FIDLAR as not the most intuitive band, the songs are the perfect background music for a party.

FIDLAR’s second album, Too, is due out this September 4th 2015 on Wichita Recordings and is a mere continuation of where the debut album left off. Opening with one of the lead singles for the album, 40oz On Repeat is a fast paced chaotic but humorous punk song, detailing a story about a break up fuelled by alchohol abuse, not outside the box for FIDLAR but still a great song. The second single from the album was West Coast, a poppy sing along track that is about growing up and doing what you want, with the usual alcoholic tales of course, lyrics like “got drunk and barfed up our shadow” won’t let you forget what FIDLAR love to do.

My favourite track from the album is definitely the second track, Punk is a riff heavy assault on the senses. The distorted guitars sounds almost like something Josh Homme could write and the vocals are even more distorted, the lyrics aren’t very intelligible but it only creates an even heavier feeling to the song, creating the perfect balance between Queens Of The Stone Age and Drive Like Jehu. The song however lets itself down at the very end with a little poem almost from the singer that even for FIDLAR is a little bit too cheesy.

The album begins to run dry for me after the song Why Generation. A problem I had with the first album, its a fun album when you are in the mood for fun songs or at a mad party, but when you aren’t the album can wear very thin quickly. Not to say that all the songs after this point are bad, Why Generation is a very catchy pop rock song with great guitar work. One track I did really like after this point in the album was Overdose which was different from the rest of the tracks. It was much moodier and actually quite reminded me of Brand New.

There are some pretty low points on this album. Tracks that come to mind are Sober which lyrically sounds like it was written by an angst ridden fourteen year old, with the chorus “I figured out when you get older/life just sucks when you get sober, I figured out when you get sober/life just sucks when you get older” and verses that seem to be FIDLAR vocalist ranting at his mum, the whole songs just feels immature and cringey. Tracks like Leave Me Alone and Drone follow suit, sounding like tracks that would be found on the soundtrack for Tony Hawks Pro-Skater.

Overall, this album is what we have come to expect from FIDLAR. It’s fun when you want fun, but in terms in progression for the band I think FIDLAR will need to find some new ideas because I don’t see them lasting much longer with a third album of just “fun”. This album was very hit or miss, when it was good, it was very good. But when it was bad it was very bad.

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Fionn Crossan 48 Articles
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