Zac Carper and co. are back at it with their brand of hazy, sarcastic California skate punk on their latest FIDLAR LP “Too”.

The record starts off with their single “40 oz on Repeat,” one of the first tracks released, showed the band take more pop sensibility towards songwriting and composition in general. Screaming idiosyncratic lines like “I’ll never sell out, man!” and replying with a coy “Wait…how much?” the singer’s wordplay is still very much present on the record. Fraught with misanthropic lyrics, a massive chorus, and even taking jabs at 90s pop music videos, the song is a much more accessible entry for the group than the more abrasive sound of their self-titled debut. The B-side to the single, “West Coast” nearly parallels “40 oz” in all of it’s pop characteristics, from the introduction of the keyboards and Beach Boys-esque surf rock vibes all around. On “Punks” the band takes reference from “Icky Thump” era White Stripes in thrashing, blues minimalism in more of a throwback to their initial releases.

While Carper claims he’s making baby steps towards growing up, the energetic frontman has recently come to terms with sobriety and even in a recent interview opened up about his drug abuse in the past. The transition into a more clean lifestyle is definitely noticeable, from the record’s confessional nature to the less discordant nature of the album’s sound. At it’s lowest moment, the bluesy track “Overdose” crawls along at a depressing pace into the bombast of the outro.

In between tracks and at points, transitioning into the next song, reminding the audience that in spite of the more polished sound of “Too” they can still be the archetypal slackers they set out to be. Ending on the “Wave of Mutilation” reference “Bad Habits” Carper gets more candid in his narrative about dealing with sobriety, culminating in every twenty-something’s absolute nightmare about growing up “Oh my God, I’m becoming my dad!”

“Too” sees FIDLAR refine their sound from a sloppy garage band, to a true band who inspires a new generation of despondent teens to pick up a guitar and learn a couple chords.

The band brings their tour to NYC at Webster Hall with support from Dune Rats.

Tickets still available here.