Frontman Zac Carper of garage punks Fidlar recently opened up about kicking heroin, meth and alcohol and finally getting clean after an intervention and rehab. On the L.A. bands follow-up to their 2013 debut a surprising record of party anthems that brought Fidlar onstage alongside the Pixies and the Hives -Carper confronts these demons head-on, writing directly about his addictions and the struggles of staying sober.
As is Fidlars style, nearly all of the 14 songs are deceptively rollickin, sounding more like a call to arms for bored suburban teenagers than the confessions of a 28-year-old man going through relapses. (For example, on West Coast, a song musically inspired by Carpers upbringing listening to Blink 182 on the radio, he screams, I should try and get a life, but I dont want that 9 to 5 / Id rather die, keep getting high.)
Insatiably hooky choruses and mosh pit fodder abound, and the albums tempo varies thanks to songs like Overdose, with its slow, foreboding guitar rhythms, and in which Carper sings with resignation, I tried to do the therapy but that didnt work for me. Its these slight variations that help make Fidlar more than a one-trick pony.
Top track: West Coast
Fidlar play Riot Fest at Downsview Park September 20.