In 2013, Fidlar frontman Zac Carper swore off drugs and alcohol for good, a decision that has resulted in an inevitable comedown. While sobriety undoubtedly saved the Los Angeles band from self-destruction, the shadows of their beer-guzzling, junked-up hedonism continue to loom. The punk rockers’ latest offering is proof of the lingering aftermath; sonically, Surviving The Dream nails the usual Fidlar formula, yet it twists and transforms their youthful skate and surf sensibilities into a cry for help. Despite the five-year break since 2019’s Almost Free, this record suggests that total freedom from addiction is still out of reach.
Opener Fix Me sets the tone of the record, Carper’s distinctive voice hollering as a clattering of skate carnage unfolds behind him – yet there’s something broken in his scratchy howls. It’s a confessional cloaked in a Thrasher hoodie, perfectly painting a picture of how to ‘survive the dream’ of the rockstar addict lifestyle when it has become a nightmare.
