Album review: FIDLAR - Too
Fuck it dog, life’s a risk. The intoxicants-enthusiastic band threw themselves with this Californian skater mantra right into the rock scene two years ago. Now they're back with their second album 'Too' and their pointless sympathetic surf-rock sound.
Known for alcohol, drugs, resisting carrier paths and generally just being singing and urinating anarcho skater, there is nothing that is not entertaining about this band. Stories that range from normal fights with the security guards on tour and gigs that were cancelled after 10 minutes to spontaneous tattoos on stage for both fan and artist is nothing new to anyone anymore. As FIDLAR are unpredictable to say the least, the question of wether they will still exist tomorrow is something we will probably have to ask ourselves forever.
What convinced me about FIDLAR's music is how they stay minimalistic in both attitude and production. Most punk bands happen to think more of themselves and their influences than what they actually are. FIDLAR are a bit different: they don't really have a message other than "let's drink cheap beer and make fun of those hipsters at the beach". The careless attitude combined with hard hitting surf rock is what made it so interesting to me.
When you listen to "Too" you can easily tell that they have matured. But, of course, only musically. The album cracks the fuck-everything attitude and let's a few moments of genuine poignancy surface. FIDLAR can now play more than just skate punk which at first is quite irritating, but nice. Playing with Tempi, rough rock sounds („Bad Medicine“), punk anthems („West Coast“), southern-rock-stomper („Punks“) or ironic power-ballads („Stupid Decisions“), are a few things they have now mastered. "Too" even offers actual thought through melody structures to get their dramatic effect better across („Why Generation“, „Leave Me Alone“).
There's a lightness to their sound, you don't feel like you're being pressured into changing the world. FIDLAR gives you the "Who even cares? Nothing matters anyways" mindset for the few minutes you're listening to them.
They put the surf on hold, although it has not completely vanished from their sophomore album. They added a wide range of rock to it and matured in style. FIDLAR are back, extended their repertoire in an obvious manner and couldn't have done it better. Fuck it dog, life’s a risk.
Get the album here
Too Tracklist:
01. 40oz On Repeat
02. Punks
03. West Coast
04. Why Generation
05. Sober
06. Leave Me Alone
07. Drone
08. Overdose
09. Hey Johnny
10. Stupid Decisions
11. Bad Medicine
12. Bad Habits
