Review Summary: Every song on this album sounds like it came from an entirely different album, none of those albums being any good either.
FIDLAR are a punk leaning four man alt-rock band signed to Mom + Pop records. They’ve made quite a name for themselves in mainstream rock, yet my only prior exposure to them was through their song
”Bad Habits”. I do enjoy that song a good bit, and I was hoping for more like it on
Almost Free, and that is not at all what I got.
No, what we have here folks is something truly egregious. It’s way too early to know for sure, but I have a feeling this will end up on my worst of the year list, high too. No opening song has ever made me less excited for what’s to come than
”Get Off My Rock". If I had any expectations for the album before hearing that, they instantly vanished. That song is probably the worst example of rap rock we can get these days. This track features obnoxious shouted pseudo rap vocals and chest pounding tough guy bull*** lyrics over an instrumental that is way too weak too prop up the obnoxious vocals. The track seems to try and tackle the subject of gentrification, but that theme is so drowned out by the rest of the song it doesn’t even matter. I talk about that track so much because all of those same things could be said about most of the rest of the tracklist. All the vocals are bratty and nasally as all hell, and that vocal style is okay if you have some meaty bass lines, shredding guitars, and pummeling drums to back it up, but we don’t get any of that. The music is just weak, the guitars never roar, they just stay flat, bass is nowhere to be found either. There’s also these really odd surf rock and funk type influences laced throughout the record that don’t sound authentic at all. Most of the lyrics are drenched in tough guy stereotypes and glorification of substance abuse. That theme is particularly prevalent on the lead single,
”Alcohol” which is just a tacky song in its delivery. One of the biggest glaring issues with this album is how disjointed it sounds. There are so many different things going on here. Every song sounds like it came from a different album, none of those albums being very good either.
I’ve yet to say anything positive about this album, but there are just a few highlights that save this from the lowest possible rating.
Called You Twice with K. Flay is a catchy enough little love song, it’s not perfect, but it’s okay. The chorus on
Thought. Mouth. is pretty cool despite the bad lyrics. The only song here I wholeheartedly enjoy is the closing track
Good Times Are Over. That song Is a semi-acoustic driven folk-punk track with a catchy alt-rock chorus that serves as a nice breath mint after consuming the pile of *** that is the rest of this thing.
I’ve heard a lot of bad albums already this year, and unfortunately people are loving the stuff I’m not feeling, but I’m positive nobody is loving or defending this thing. This is truly a painful listen folks. Maybe check out the closer if you feel like it, but the rest is so not worth the headache.
