IN REVIEW: FIDLAR - "Too"

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As brash, playful and thrilling as their debut single Cheap Beer was, I personally found FIDLAR's first record to be a bit of a chore to get through; once the shtick started wearing thin and the songs kept exploring the same territory ad nauseum, the album became less humourous and more annoying.

Naturally, with a couple of years to grow as a band and hone their chops, their second record is a vast improvement; this much is apparent from lead track (and first single) 40 Oz. On Repeat, which refines their young and reckless sound and uncovers one of the year's most infectious songs while maintaining much of the brashness that made some of the previous record so endearing. There's more muscle on display too, perhaps most notably on Punks. A cynic would degrade it for tinkering with the same bluesy hard rock style that other current bands like Royal Blood have conquered the world with, but damn if Punks isn't one of the most fun and furious takes on that particular subgenre,

They follow that up with the sunny singalong West Coast, then later channel Blink-182 with the disjointed raging surf-punk of Sober, then put on their best Pixies face on Leave Me Alone, then explore the dark depths of drug abuse via Modest Mouse and The Black Keys on Overdose, then take the piss out of power ballads on Stupid Decision (right before a punked-up rocker called Bad Medicine, no less).

If you're thinking, "wow, that's a lot of sonic ground to cover, I hope they pull it all off", I'm pleased to report that it all more or less checks out. There are still plenty of growing pains, as these guys are still really young (and a few of the between-song segués are a little cringe-inducing), but there are also more hooks and fully fleshed out song ideas. More importantly, they're setting themselves up for a host of possibilities for future records which, if you get your thrills from the uncertainty of where a band is going next, makes Too required listening.

September 4, 2015 • Mom + Pop/Dine Alone
Highlights 40 Oz. On Repeat • Punks • Overdose

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