This album starts off with “None Of Your Business Man”, and just like many of Fucked Up’s albums in the past, this starts off on the slower side. It’s very graceful and shimmering, and actually quite pretty. But this is all stuff that Fucked Up have toyed with in the past and done just fine with. But I do sort of wish this one didn’t take as long to get rolling. There are zany horns some of Damian’s more vicious vocals I’ve heard since “David Comes to Life”. It’s got a message, but it’s also just so damn catchy and ushers in this narrative really well. But what’s most exciting about this is just how unhinged this sounds. Fucked Up have never been a band on its rails, but this is a new level of absurdity and it’s a blast, I just wish this one took less time getting rolling. But “Raise Your Voice Joyce” on the other hand is just the absolute ripper I wanted to hear. It’s rough, it’s tough, it’s wild, but it’s also instantaneous and seriously catchy. Honestly, this is one of the best Punk tunes I’ve heard all year. Fucked Up have such a knack for writing not only intense punk tracks that hit you with so much aggression and violence but also really stick with you hours after. Not only that, it really continues to add so much to the narrative of the album. But it’s so simple, it’s just a miraculous track. This is actually a really hard album to keep up with. Not only is this album overall a warping, Psychedelic fever dream of a Punk album, it often shifts genres right in front of you. But thankfully, Fucked Up sound really concrete underneath. Now, this album is overwhelming when you really take into consideration just how many people worked on it, and I would recommend looking that list up yourself. But I absolutely love the dueling vocals here between frontman Damian Abraham and Jen Calleja. Everything else is some of the most blurry, yet still exciting Punk I’ve heard this year. In this case, there’s not that much of a Punk influence, and this does seem a little bit more in the Indie direction, although it is a little heavier. But Fucked Up are doing a remarkable job so far. In between all of these tracks, I never really feel like I know what I’m going to hear next. I love just how dangerous and bluesy Damian sounds here, like he sounds like an absolute creep. But in regards to the themes of the album, it works so well. This one builds into one of the more anthemic and passionate tracks here seriously fast. The backing vocals give this one a really catchy hook and believe it or not this may be some of the vastest material Fucked Up have ever worked with. And yes, they’ve written 72-minute Punk Rock operas so I know how gigantic of a statement that is. But this one is just so incredibly cinematic and the instrumentals are seemingly endless. Not to mention, even outside of the narrative this track is just so down to earth and digestible. I really don’t have anything bad to say about this. Now, you have to give credit where credit is due, this is sonically Fucked Up’s most impressive album in years. Between the stellar production here and the lush instrumentals, I’m impressed on so many levels. Honestly, “Torch to Light”, this is even one of the easier to comprehend. Even though this track really isn’t nearly as pummeling or punky as what we’ve been hearing so far from Fucked Up, this isn’t bad at all. I mean, sure, I wish this was more vicious and catchy. But for a sort of interlude that just so happens to be 4 minutes, this isn’t bad, and it transitions things nicely. Not to mention some of these breakdowns are just so meaty.
“Talking Pictures” continues to make this album come off so hazy and genre-defying. But here, I’m not nearly as into some of the electronic elements that just sort of sound sloppy. This has been a very dystopian album so far, so I’d be lying if I said that they didn’t add up as far as that goes. But I’ll be honest, everything else on this one just flies right by me. Sure, Damian is at his most vicious, which I needed to her right about now. But outside of that, I just feel like Fucked Up with this one bit off more than they can chew. Even when things “take off” in the second half, this one is just hard to follow and not even exciting. Now, “House of Keys” rolls back in that same direction of a slightly electronic sound. But this one just has it as a backing layer, because this one is another rapid-fire Hardcore Punk jam. And honestly, it’s a really good one. It’s not nearly as catchy or as dissectible, and this is easily some of the most “Hardcore” material we’ve heard yet. But it’s just so refreshing to hear the band go absolutely nuts and let out all of that great energy. And I just love how chaotic and hard to place this one gets by the end of it. I mean, I would have liked a little bit more of a chorus, but this is still great. On the other hand, “Dose Your Dreams” is the kind of risk that I feel like goes over incredibly well. This one doesn’t race into anything, it actually adds some legit tension in parts. It’s got some serious funk and I would swear some honest to God Disco vibes. But this ends up breaking up the album wonderfully and reminds you just how wild Fucked Up are. And honestly, they sound great. It’s steamy, but it’s also fueled by attitude and pushing forward with this narrative. It’s so effective that when Damian DOES come crashing in it’s genuinely exciting and wild. On the other hand, “Living in a Simulation” is the most straightforward and catchy track we’ve heard here in a while. This one incorporates elements of everything Classic Punk to even some Ska, and it’s all pretty fantastic. Here, this shows how much fun Fucked Up can be without throwing out their legitimacy. Not only that but after all the branching out they’ve been doing this sounds so refreshed. The backing vocals add just enough depth and obvious details like just how catchy that riff is makes this one work so well. But while so much of this album has been certainly fun, there almost always seems to be this sort of dark and dreary vibe underneath. With “I Don’t Wanna Live in this World Anymore”, it comes out a little more than most of the other tracks here. Damian here may not be at his most aggressive as far as his performance goes. But I do just love how blunt this track is and how legitimately pissed he sounds. It still remains catchy though and forward thinking as many of the truly great Fucked Up tracks are. This one just keeps growing and growing, bringing in more instrumentals as the seconds pass as well as forwarding the narrative. And so many of the little details, like the heavenly vocals towards the end, just give this such a cinematic edge.
Now, How to Die Happy does turn things down a bit with a whole lot of feedback and a very graceful sound. This one features vocals from Alice Hansen, and she definitely brings in a whole lot of beauty. And while this does absolutely break the album up nicely, that’s about all it does. This one is certainly pretty. But there’s nothing about this one that actually stands out to men. It’s just plain boring by the end of this 5 minutes. But that leads me something I really haven’t touched, the length of this album. There’s a LOT of material here, there almost always is with Fucked Up. But I worry going from track to track that it’s going to be quality over quality, which up until now hasn’t been an issue. With “Two I’s Closed” once again we get another very serene start, and yea this is a gorgeous track. But I do think that again, this is just a little too much. I mean, there are elements to this that are really sweet. But at the very least the last track sort of pushed the narrative forward, this one is just awkward. But with “The One I Want Will Come For Me” we get some guitars back that sound pretty damn straightforward. It’s times like this that I love being a Fucked Up fan. Mike Haliechuk takes vocal duties here, and it honestly goes over really well. There’s once again a really great throwback vibe to this, and somehow I get like a Hüsker Dü vibe to it. I mean, I’m usually more prone to liking tracks that Damian is behind, but I’m super into this track in every way. It’s anthemic, heartfelt, and beautiful, but it also packs a punch. Overall this is just a really great sound for the band. But these constant veering offs into Electronic just aren’t that flattering. “Mechanical Bull” is just a sloppily produced tune. Sure, it’s abrasive and aggressive, but Ryan Tong on vocals here sounds awful. Like, I’m sure he’s usually better than this. But this is just not flattering to anyone and seems like such a sore thumb on this album. Like, Damian’s vocals blaring through the background actually aren’t that bad. But this is just such a down point for the album.
There continue to be these very hazy, surprisingly vast atmospheres that pop in out of nowhere and really shake things up. Thankfully “Accelerate” does pick up quickly, and that pulsating, crushing drum is brilliant. This one eventually does become one of the most straightforward and urgent tunes here, it almost doesn’t even belong on this album because it’s so explosive. There are still some poppy hooks in the back, but the intense synths and wailing guitars are just swallowing that all up. I actually really love this track, and it reminds us just how much more Fucked Up still have to offer. This one just seems like it’s constantly winding out of control, and that’s brilliant. “Came Down Wrong” once again shows some Indie Rock influence. But Jennifer Castle’s incredibly sweet and melodic vocals, along with some backup vocals from Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis makes for one of the most instantaneous tracks here. Like, yea, it’s a much less aggressive tune all around. Like, this is BARELY a Punk tune. But this is just so incredibly catchy, all while pushing forward with this narrative. It’s got a wonderfully epic and progressive feel. If Fucked Up want to do more with Indie Rock, this would be a wonderful sound to continue with. Oh boy, but we get another ballad with “Love Is An Island in the Sea”. This one, however, is easily the dreariest of the bunch. And while I’m not into some of the vocals here, this is certainly one of the best ballads of the bunch. Mostly because these very dreary guitars and the downtrodden atmosphere are so sincere. And while I wasn’t into some of these verses, the chorus itself is a wonderful singalong that I needed to hear right now. And I’m not too shocked that we get a very hazy, ballsy, experimental driven track as a finale with “Joy Stops Time”. It’s very meditative, and I do like just how cinematic this one comes off with the warm pianos and upbeat riff. It’s just very hazy and so out there, which after well over an hour of music, I’m not really sure if you’re down for. For me, this is certainly good, like it’s very epic and unbelievably forward thinking. But I also would have liked to hear a little bit more structure. But this is still a wild and exciting finale.
Rating: 8.5/10
Give A Listen To: “Raise Your Voice Joyce”, “Normal People”, “Living in a Simulation”, “The One I Want Will Come For Me”
Least Favorite Track: “Two I’s Closed”
Genre: Hardcore Punk / Punk Rock / Punk Rock - Opera
Overall Thoughts: Fucked Up return with their first album in years, sounding more sonically adventurous and wilder than ever. Fucked Up has always been more than just another Hardcore band, but more than ever it seems to be the case. Here, they bring in elements of catchy Indie Rock, hazy Psychedelic Rock, funky Electronics, and a deep appreciation for the roots of Hardcore Punk. The result is one of their wildest and most outlandish albums in their discography. It’s got a dystopian narrative and tons of rebellious mesmerizing hooks. I just have two major issues. For one, it’s insanely long, which ends up not being terrible because of just how many fantastic tracks are found here. But when this album is bad, this album is borderline terrible, especially when it comes to these ballads.
No comments:
Post a Comment