It’s been nearly two and a half years since Wavves released their quintessential surf rock album “King of the Beach”. It was the weed-smoking-lazy-romantic epitomised in a great deal of noise and feedback. Since then though the surf rock genre has had very few great albums, Best Coast’s ”Crazy for You” came close but was far too upbeat. However, the time of noise rock and drug related lyrics has returned with the arrival of the debut album from LA band FIDLAR. It’s aggressive, exciting and a tribute to the youth who honestly couldn’t care.
What makes a good surf rock album? Well, references to surfing of course, which is covered by the 6th track on the album “Max Can’t Surf”. With its stabbing chords, optimistic rhythm section and powerful vocals from leads singer Zac Carper it is definitely one of the stand out tracks on the album. Next on the list is drugs. With two songs dedicated to the stuff, “Wake Bake Skate” and “Cocaine”, it’s something very close to the heart of FIDLAR‘s sound. The frantic, lo fi sounds sound like something from an acid trip in a music shop. Despite this though the album is energetic, tight and edgy.
Even the less intense tracks like “Gimme Something” still keep the misanthropic lyircs and the themes of the hardships of youth. While they don’t take themselves too seriously, more concerned with their “5 to 9″ routine of “drinking forty till we can’t see”, there are very few weak songs on the album. The LA Times wrote about the band’s fans saying that they are just “lost and pissed off, more likely to be found in a dive bar than at an Occupy rally. Which pretty well describes Fidlar’s outlook”. So maybe the have “no car, we got no money” but it clearly doesn’t stop them from producing a stellar debut album full of catchy riffs and “insightful” lyrics- an album that is sure to remain strong throughout this year.
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