Taking the acronym that forms their name ("F*ck it dog, life's a risk") as a literal credo, L.A. garage punks
FIDLAR try their best to evolve past the dumb but somewhat endearing slackery of their early days with
Almost Free, their difficult third full-length. For a band whose primary themes involved getting baked, getting wasted, skating, and partying, the growing pains that come with trying to be taken more seriously are going to be tough. Their spotty sophomore release, 2016's
Too, wrestled with frontman
Zac Carper's newfound sobriety in the face of the group's chosen lifestyle and typical subject matter; on
Almost Free, they further complicate things by introducing some politics and social commentary into the mix. To their credit,
FIDLAR have made legitimate attempts to get out of their creative comfort zone and go somewhere new. That said,
Almost Free is somewhat of a mess. Recording at Hollywood's legendary Sunset Sound with
Ricky Reed (
Jessie J,
Twenty One Pilots),
FIDLAR strike out in a variety of different directions, landing some new tricks but slamming a lot more. The result is a scattershot collection that just doesn't hang together very well. Gentrification-railing opener "Get Off My Rock" is a well-intended misfire that would sound more dangerous if its edgy rap-rock didn't sound so faithfully close to the
Beastie Boys' signature sound. Some of the more streamlined rock tones introduced on tracks like "Can't You See" and the horn-laden "Scam Likely" hit their marks more closely, but the slicked-up party-pop grooves of "By Myself" and "Thought. Mouth.," plus the irritating screen-decrying rant "Too Real," just can't seem to figure out what they are -- which is essentially where
FIDLAR find themselves on this tough outing. ~ Timothy Monger
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