‘Too’ is the second album of Southern Californian skater foursome FIDLAR. Arising out of the depths of lead vocalist Zac Carper’s road to sobriety, the album deals with surprisingly deep and thoughtful topics, despite the preconceived image you may have of the band, the name of which stands for ‘Fuck It Dog, Life’s A Risk’.
This album kicks off with the rambunctiously rollicking ‘40oz On Repeat’, with a strong beat and punchy vocals, a song in which lead vocalist Zac Carper screams his desperate state of mind, the lyrics concerning all the struggles of a lonely, broke, angry, and socially anxious 20-something-year-old - ‘Well I tried to ask you out about a thousand times / In my head you just always say no.’ - turning to alcohol to solve his problems - ‘And I don’t care at all/ I’ll drink some alcohol/ It’ll make me who I really wanna be’. ‘Punks’ is a teeth-gnashing punk track, finding its roots amongst drug abuse and relationship turmoil. The track ‘West Coast’ has a polished, poppy feel, with a light-hearted beat and a series of upbeat ‘aahs’ that lift the song up. The song is almost a summer anthem, and primarily concerned about a road trip up the west coast, even if they’re drugged out. The song does convey some sort of urgent desperation of the bored suburban kid, and the struggles of the expectation to grow up and get a job as Carper sings in a frenzy ‘I’m so sick of this stupid place' and ‘I should go and get a life but I don’t want that 9 to 5′. Why Generation captures the desperation of the millennials, or ‘Generation Y’ (the title serving as a clever pun) concerning the struggles we face growing up not knowing what to do - “Where do I belong / Where do I go”. With a blend of woozy, dizzying verses sung by vocalist Elvis Kuehn, and plangent shrieking chorus of Carper, the song is an outspoken cry of the confusion and desperation of the youth of today.
There is an essence of Blink-182-esque humour in the snotty, bratty verses in ‘Sober’, as Carper expresses his irritation for his unreasonable girlfriend with unrealistic demands. The ridiculously catchy chorus makes the tune a great upbeat song that one can’t help flash a grin to when listening. The strong, punchy beat of ‘Leave Me Alone’ has bitter, almost resentful lyrics - ‘Alright I’m lazy/ And fucking crazy/ And you think I’m putting on some kind of act / But this is me being me’ - and seriously strong instrumentals - the bridge of this song just sounds cool.
There are undoubtedly serious elements within the tracks, as aforementioned; ‘Overdose’ and ‘Stupid Decisions’ tackle Carper’s addiction, with heartfelt, angry lyrics. The gritty guitar in ‘Bad Medicine’ is fitting with the dirty eponymous subject of drugs, with bassist Brandon Schwartzel’s nasal verses tackling the subject of someone battling the effects of addiction ‘You’ll shake that needle/ And the damage is done’. ‘Bad Habits’ is another that showcases Carper’s own awareness of his ‘bad habits’ and his desperation in having to doing so ‘I drink till I’m mad and I love being sad/ Oh my God I’m becoming my Dad’.
All in all, this album is one of my favourites out there. It’s loud, fun, urgent and fresh, each track serving as a unique tune in its own right.
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