Review Summary: Tomorrow We'll Fly
Friko's Sophomore album, as plainly told by its apt title, boasts confidence if nothing else. Maybe a little on the nose at first glance but the meaning of the words
Something Worth Waiting For seems to transcend the album's music.
Those of us in the upper Midwest (in proximity to their home of Illinois) will attest this past winter was brutal to say the least. From November of last year up into March the relentlessness of the snow and ice had left not just the band but much of America feeling stir crazy. Now in April, the weather is warmer and we're all just gunning to travel somewhere, anywhere. Much of the same can be said for the former duo now quartet whose debut showed the band had promise for greatness and just needed a direction to take it further. Now with their second effort their immediate direction is clear - they're rushing full speed and without fear into Summer, with the rest of us eagerly peddling in tow.
Schoolmates Niko Kapetan and Bailey Minzenberger left quite a first impression when they presented Friko's debut in 2024, exuding musicianship and spectacle typically seen by bands seasoned with at least 10 years' experience. They seemed to effortlessly harness their youthful energy and an unabashed love for the days of Arcade Fire's heartfelt anthems and Radiohead's evocative soundscapes to create something both unabashedly inspired but also surprisingly refreshing. Now in retrospect, the album may seem like the jump-off point for a talented albeit small new group but at the time its sincere, emotional power was something not heard often in today's musical landscape, certainly not on the premier release from a band so young. For the daunting task of a follow-up, Friko hasn't come unprepared. With permanent additions Korgan Robb and David Fuller joining in, production by former Paper Chase frontman John Congleton and musical arrangements by Jharek Bischoff, the band is now well-steeled for the journey ahead of them.
Something Worth Waiting For has much of the stirring excitement felt on
Where We've Been with some noticeable differences as well. The songs are a bit more concise and focused without ever losing an ounce of their impassioned fervor. Though longer than the previous album,
Something chugs along at a much more consistent pace, each song like a hop from one CTA train line to the next. The opener, "Guess", accelerates things to full-speed kicking off the album with a building climax of Kapetan's pained wails plunging everything forward into noise laden catharsis.
The first three songs stay on track nicely, a transportation motif holding strong through much of the album. Nowhere is this more upfront than on the appropriately titled "Choo Choo", an uplifting tale of wanderlust to take with you while riding the Red Line through Chicago. Things become more scenic upon the moderately paced "Alice", the first time the ride begins to show any sign of slowing down if only to admire the romanticism of Friko's more melodic balladry. Follow that up with the sweeping stringwork of "Certainty", a rare duet between Kapetan and Minzenberger, and Congleton's production prowess is now sharing the stage more prominently.
Things take to the sky with album highlight "Hot Air Balloon" as the band waves goodbye to the surface and its singers, painters, pretty songs and sayings. "I don't want none of it" confesses Kapetin as the band floats away, triumphantly acknowledging their growth but also reasserting their desire to keep moving forward (another running theme). The album's first single "Seven Degrees" recalls glimpses of the longing nature found throughout their debut, however rather than look ahead with uncertainty, the band would joyfully wait out the cold with excitement for the inevitable warmth of Summer that awaits them. Things come full circle with the title track as Kapetin recalls those statues they promised to lay on
Where We've Been, the near 6-minute smash anthem re-affirms where the band has been and where they plan to go - much, much farther. Perhaps the most vulnerable track, the synth-filled "Dear Bicycle" closes out this ride with a plea to that which has carried the band forward thus far, assuring that there is still so much road to travel and inviting us to "Stick Around" as there is only more to come.
If
Where We've Been was a jump off,
Something Worth Waiting For can simply be seen as part of the voyage. Everything about the album speaks on the band's mission to continue onto greater things. In the album cover we see the band cycling happily towards something. Obviously, we can't see what that is from our perspective but, if their joyful expressions tell us anything, it's something to look forward to. This all begs the question: was this album what was worth waiting for or is that yet to come? Who knows, but for now all we can do is hop on and enjoy the ride.
Recommended Tracks:
Guess
Alice
Certainty
Hot Air Balloon
Something Worth Waiting For
