One of the most entertaining and creative punk bands out there right now, FIDLAR finally returns with their sophomore album. Produced by Jay Joyce, who has worked with everyone from Cage The Elephant to Carrie Underwood, the band really comes into their own on this release. The album’s first single “40oz. On Repeat” is one of those great alt rock songs that sticks in your head longer than it takes to drink a 40. Not to mention the song’s incredible video, which recreates legendary videos on a shoestring budget and really makes it work.
“Punks” is a markedly different track than what the band had previously done and it’s a fantastic step in the right direction. It shows the band willing to step out of their comfort zone and show a bit of maturity, but not too much. Frontman/guitarist Zac Carper’s voice sounds more fresh and full of life; the best example of this is “West Coast.” The lyrical content is very dark, but it’s really invigorating to hear something this exciting instead of all the crap on the radio. Along the same lines is “Sober” which, lyrically, is the darkest song here, but musically, it is an incredibly upbeat singalong that’s infectious as hell.
“Leave Me Alone” is another fantastic track, really showing off everything that the band is capable of. Unfortunately, the last half of the record tends to be a bit soggy. There are a couple tracks like “Drone” and “Hey Johnny” that really keep the album from being one of the best friggin’ records of the entire year. The album is still great, but it’s not everything that it could’ve been.
“Stupid Decisions” is a slower song, which is something different for the band and it sounds like something that could get some easy radio play – but the radio won’t touch good stuff like this, that’s for sure. “Bad Habits” wraps the proceedings up in a nice package, another great track that shows how far the band have come, personally and musically.