Fidlar: Too Warner

Their self-titled debutwas a record full of crunchy, memorable moments. Too,on the other hand, is devoid of almost everything that made their debut impressive. The LA punk grit has been replaced with sheen, and the anarchic lyrics have been replaced with teenage angst.

Where most bands ‘grow up’ and find a more mature sound on their sophomore, Fidlar have decided to defy the norm – they now sound a lot more like your neighbour’s teen garage band, only without most of the fun. Some of these songs are plain painful to listen to, such as the spoken-word attempt at a punk anthem, ‘Sober’. Thankfully, others like lead single ‘40oz On Repeat’ and the Southern-tinged ‘Punks’ are more reminiscent of the ‘classic’ Fidlar sound.

Standouts are few and far between, but ‘Overdose’, a slow-burner with a surprising ending, makes the 40 minutes of listening worth it.

If you’re into throwbacks to a time when punk rock was just a bunch of dude-bros playing crunchy power chords and singing about how no-one understands them, then this record may satisfy. Otherwise, move on.