California skate punk reminiscent of older bands
California skate punk. That’s the standard description of one of my favorite bands, Fidlar. Their most recent album, the 2019 “Almost Free,” is a little bit Jet, a little bit Beastie Boys, a little bit the Clash, but definitely a hundred percent Fidlar.
The Fidlar attitude is timeless. It has that angry teenage substance-abusing edge that only skater punk can accurately condense into music. It’s the absolute perfect soundtrack for a sweaty moshpit wafted over with suspicious smells.
Members of the Fidlar moshpit have expressed mixed feelings for “Almost Free.” Some appreciate the band’s evolving sound while others were hoping for something more familiar.
Every album comes with its surprises, but I have to admit, much of “Almost Free” caught me completely off guard. For example, the catchy “Can’t You See” is a personal favorite, but I never would have guessed it was a Fidlar track.
Another pleasant surprise was the album’s opener, “Called You Twice.” I can only think to describe it as a meticulous punk ballad. At first, I wasn’t sold on it, but then, out of nowhere, a familiar voice chimed in.
Featured on the track is the up-and-coming moody music queen known as K. Flay (whose music I have reviewed in this column before). When I first discovered K. Flay, I remember thinking that her voice would fit in perfectly with Fidlar. And I was definitely right!
Each track is just as surprising as “Called You Twice.” In fact, each track is a completely different experience than the last. One of the most unexpected is the title track, “Almost Free,” an orchestral instrumental, two words I never thought I’d use to describe anything Fidlar.
Other tracks are much more gritty, a more familiar description for the band. The 38-second “Nuke” is especially heavy. The most characteristic track (and my favorite on the album) is “Alcohol,” which is about exactly what it sounds like it’s about. Its runner-up is “By Myself,” with hilarious lyrics like, “I started at the bottom. Now I’m still at the bottom.”
Another favorite is the track “Get Off My Rock.” It has that classic Fidlar anti-establishment overtone. When I mentioned this song to a fellow Fidlar fan, she said that she can’t help but picture that an angry little lizard wrote the lyrics. Now I can’t unsee it.
On another note, the darkest, angriest and weirdest track on the album is “Too Real,” about explosions and fire and the government lying. I think. I’m not sure. The video gave me nightmares.
Ultimately I would sum up the “Almost Free” experience as a pleasant surprise, and I’m genuinely looking forward to what these guys come out with next. In the meantime, I’ll add a few new songs to my Fidlar playlist.
