FIDLAR are no longer getting drunk with their friends and writing garage punk songs about not giving a fuck. Sure, they’re still singing about drugs and refusing to do what they’re told, but Too explores these pastimes from a totally new angle. While 2013’s self-titled debut was an exhilarating 36-minute collection of songs about teenage excess, Too focuses on what happens when that lifestyle becomes boring and even toxic. Too isn’t lacking catchy pop songs, but it’s a dark journey.
40oz. On Repeat opens proceedings; a punchy pop punk track that features frontman Zac Carper satirically whining about being misunderstood, broke and loveless. Punks, an earlier FIDLAR track revamped for the album, showcases the band’s dirtier, heavier side. Carper’s self-examination continues on Leave Me Alone – you can practically hear him grit his teeth in anxiety and frustration whilst singing about feeling “Fucking crazy.”
Overdose evokes images of a dishevelled street musician playing a self-scathing lament at two in the morning. Carper takes a trip down memory lane, his hushed, aching vocals detailing the horrors of his past drug addiction over jangly guitar lines and an unsettling organ melody. It’s the most stripped back and intimate we’ve ever heard FIDLAR.
While punchy drums, raging distorted guitar lines and soaring melodies are still there, the inclusion of keys, acoustic guitars and tambourines, and tender, raw lyricism, makes Too an obvious expansion of FIDLAR’s sound. While listeners connected with the band’s debut via feelings of hedonism and resentment towards the world, with Too, listeners can connect to the rollercoaster of emotions associated with self-growth.
BY JESS ZANONI
