FIDLAR, “Too”
FIDLAR’s second record, the appropriately named, “Too,” is a bit of a departure from the happy-go-lucky skate punk sounds of their previous record titled “Fidlar.” Their first full-length album was regarded by most as feel good party music. With chorus such as “Cocaine running round in my brain,” and “I drink cheep beer, so what, f— you,” repeated ad nauseam, it’s not hard to see why. The break-neck pacing and wild energy is still in “Too,” but the lyrics are certainly more angsty and jaded.
In both lyrics and energy, “Too” seems to represent life after all the cheep beer and cocaine of the first record. Most of this can be attributed to Zac Carper’s newfound sobriety. Most of “Too” was written as the front man of FIDLAR was dealing with kicking his heroin, cocaine and meth addictions. Almost every song either reflects on Carper’s life while he was using various substances or his attitudes toward life without these substances and distractions. This is especially evident in the song “Sober,” when Carper screams out, “I figured as I got older that life just sucks when you get sober; I figured out when I got sober that life just sucks when you get older.”
Despite the heavy subject matter in most of the songs, FIDLAR still manages to pack in catchy hooks throughout the album. “40 Oz On Repeat” is meant to be screamed at the top of your lungs, and the chorus to “West Coast” is just “ahhh ahhhhhh ahhh.” Listening to this album won’t challenge your idea of what music is or even require you to think too much about anything, but the songs will be stuck in your head for days.
While I’m a sucker for a catchy hook and I thoroughly enjoy listening to “Too,” the beginning of “Sober” makes me cringe every time I hear it. The song starts off as a one-sided phone conversation that sounds like something I would hear coming out of my middle-school sister’s mouth. The lyrics are so angsty it’s almost laughable.
FIDLAR will be playing with Dune Rats Sept. 29 at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina.
Tracks to check out: “40 Oz On Repeat,” “Leave Me Alone,” “Stupid Decisions,” “West Coast”
Recommended if you like: Wavves, Green Day, Blink-182