Dave's Fucked Up Review

I like my music loud, and heavy. Or rather, let me say I did like my music loud and heavy on a regular basis when I was younger. Now I like loud and heavy music every so often. So unlike Gary, I have a point of reference to appreciate Fucked Up’s “The Chemistry of Common Life” album. However I wouldn’t say that this record is necessarily a punk record or a metal record – as much as I would say it borrows characteristics normally associated with those genres and makes them prominent in this crazy infusion of expression and culture to make a modern music that really stands alone in it’s originality (oh look Dave’s getting all high brow on us with the “metal” record) – Damn fucking right I am – and don’t call it a metal record – what is this Vice magazine?

So ages ago Fucked Up were super hyped as this super cool band that was doing amazing things – now they are this moderately hyped band actually doing cool things with their music. “The Chemistry of Common Life” is a perfect example of how Fucked Up have matured and stayed – well fucked up. Where some people find it hard to listen to and “noisy” at times, I love how the band is able to stitch together eclectic sounds so perfectly. You can hear a grunge influence in bass lines, a punk sentiment in lyrics/vocals, the history of rock on drums and garage band fuzz in the layers of guitars. Where the fucked up part comes into play is where you hear a sprinkling of piano, a woodwind, or some kind of synthesizer.

There are a several stand out tracks on this album, ones that really define it – “Son the Father”, “Golden Seal”, and the title track “The Chemistry of Common Life” to mention a few. Each of them does something different – they experiment within themselves. This is where Fucked Up are so much better than their “hardcore” peers – they are willing to take the chance on doing something outside of the genre, outside of the expectations they put on themselves.

What really separates Fucked Up is the vocals though, if you added a traditional rock singer to this band it would sound dated and at times cheesy, with the deep growl of Damian Abraham it creates atmosphere (something all of the Polaris short listers do well) in abundance, and that atmosphere also solidifies the identity of Fucked Up as something more than a generic rock/punk/metal/hardcore band.

Where the “The Chemistry for Common Life” lacks is in its cohesion as an album from top to bottom. For me it’s a collection of good songs, well produced, well performed, but really nothing that binds them together except the people playing them. I guess that’s what really makes it Fucked Up.

deedle