On their fifth studio album, Surviving The Dream, the Los Angeles punk outfit FIDLAR sticks to their roots with a few curveballs. The core of youth and partying remains on their radar, but a few instrumental flairs and consistency help make the record pop.

When entering with the dial-up starting sound of “FIX ME,” lead vocalist Zac Carper unexpectedly transitions into a pseudo-ballad about not being able to be fixed and learning how to live with how someone is. The instrumental falls back and forth between supporting Carper’s ballad and more traditional punk sounds in a minor key.

What’s most surprising about FIDLAR at times can be their emphasis on guitar over all instruments. Drums are usually the blood of punk music, but drummer Max Kuehn takes a back seat to Carper and bassist Brandon Schwartzel for most of the album. 

Kuehn does well smashing the cymbals into pieces, especially on the outer parts of “ORANGE COUNTY,” where Carper’s guitar has been the centerpiece, driving his vocals at times. It’s a small detail, but it can make one’s head bob.

Surviving The Dream is exactly what it sounds like trying to survive between the consequences of drugs and partying. FIDLAR highlights these concepts positively to a point, a rapidly different take from how society used to glorify partying during the previous recession. “DOWN N OUT” is the perfect example, with biting lyrics and a more forgiving instrumental. It’s all about realizing your mistakes and living with the consequences; it’s understanding but processing simultaneously.  The best track on this record doesn’t fall far from the tree. It’s “LOW” by a mile.

It’s a nice mix of Red Hot Chili Peppers in the early ‘00s, and the distortion mostly done by Pale Waves on their latest records, creating a nostalgic and exciting vibe efficiently executed by Carper’s guitar. The lyrics hit almost the same.

“I’m a mess, I don’t think that I’m healing / I take drugs, but I don’t think I need them / Fell in love but she just keeps on leaving.”

Overall, FIDLAR has created another introspective record that helps one think about the consequences of choices and life. This album isn’t just about thriving; it’s a portrait of surviving.