Who knew that Canada would provide us with one of the most exciting punk records of the year? This is what FIDLAR should be doing; it’s as if these guys took their sound and made it better without sacrificing themselves to trendy pop producers and catchy Panic At The Disco-type songs. After hearing “Kids,” I got as excited about a punk band since I discovered Turnstile. “Kids” is one of the coolest songs of the year, a song that will and should be heard by all these kids who are drooling over 21 Pilots and Panic At The Disco.
“Free At Last” is a quick upbeat raveup that works exceptionally well. It serves to prove that guitar-driven rock ‘n’ roll isn’t necessarily dead at all. You just have to dig below the surface to find the really good stuff. “Full Blown Meltdown” delves into hardcore territory and the guys pull it off exceptionally well. There’s nothing like fast, quick punk to wake you up out of your everyday existence. “See You at Your Funeral” is an in-your-face jam that you can’t help but love, making it a personal favorite. Our fearless vocalist Stefan Babcock comes across many times like Jello Biafra mixed with Rodney Anonymous of the Dead Milkmen. Not a bad combination, if I do say so myself.
“Closure,” while at best an okay song, sounds the closest to how FIDLAR used to sound. Closing track “City” brings things down a bit, but it’s still a reasonable enough track. “Bloody Mary, Kate And Ashley” is also a bit slower but it’s still really intricate and good. “Sibling Rivalry” is one of the standout tracks here: great guitar work and just a lot of really good musicianship all throughout. Morbid Stuff is n album that deserves to be embraced by metalheads and punks alike.
