"FIDLAR" - FIDLAR [Spotify Album Stream]

Drug-fueled, reverb-soaked, surf-punk has been always been mimicked. Indie rock bands with thin guitars and wispy vocals have long appropriated the lo-fi rattle and growl of bands like FIDLAR, but they've never been able to nail the sincere, wild-eyed madness of a punk rocker on a cocaine binge.

That's what makes FIDLAR's self-titled debut so spectacular: Nothing about it is disingenuous. The stylistic bounces between songs aren't forced, and the poppy "No Waves" comes as naturally as the slow, raging "Cocaine." The lyrical content may not be supremely diverse, but the beach bum theme is what the record is all about. Rather than leave the haze of liquor and drugs, the album is broken up in speed, melody, and style. It's a sonically surprising record as well. The bulk of the record is gritty as fuck and sopping wet with reverb, but the tones and layers all have their place in the mix, leaving a low-fidelity body of work that is still clear and easy to listen to. FIDLAR finds its place as a melodic, distorted, and catchy punk record -- and one of the best of the year, at that.

For more music, news, videos, and tour dates, be sure to check out FIDLAR's Zumic artist page.