“What could you do in just one day?” This question, posed in the title track of Fucked Up’s latest full length, was at the forefront of guitarist Mike Haliechuk’s mind when he conceived the band’s sixth album. The idea was a simple one: to see if he could write and record an album's worth of material in just 24 hours of studio time, and have his bandmates lay down their parts within the same time constraints.
Fucked Up are no strangers to mixing things up when it comes to approaching a new record. It is one of the reasons they have transcended the sometimes limiting constraints of harcore, while simultaneously being one of its finest proponents. At just 10 tracks ‘One Day’ is a breeze in comparison to its predecessor, the epic ‘Dose Your Dreams’, and it also adopts a more direct musical tone.
Within Haliechuk’s stacked guitar lines he throws sideways glances to classic rock and even stamps his own take on hair metal riffage. But the breathless hardcore pace behind his style gives I Think I Might Be Weird a uniquely current feel.
When it is his turn to take lead vocals on Cicada, meanwhile, he effortlessly lays down a chord progression Noel Gallagher would have been proud of in the mid-90s, and uses it as a backdrop to a heartfelt ode to friends gone but not forgotten.
Jonah Falco also gives another heroic performance on drums. We are well used to his breathtaking fills, but even playing it straight he hurtles forward, throwing tracks such as Broken Little Boys into your consciousness. Sandy Miranda's loping bass lines probe and jab like a prizefighter toying with an opponent before the knockout blow. The notable impact of each member is a reminder that beneath vocalist Damian Abraham’s primal scream, there is a band operating at the height of their powers.
‘One Day’ also features the first lyrical contributions from Abraham since 2014’s ‘Glass Boys’. Penning the lyrics to five songs each, he and Haliechuk have crafted one of the most positive sounding records in the band's canon. While there are plenty of moments of darkness and frustration, the overarching theme is one of appreciation, and a recognition of the positive influence those closest to us wield on our lives.
Fucked Up have always been a band for the disenchanted, offering a brutal yet strangely soothing assault on the senses, and an outlet for aggression and frustration that has no other escape route. But they are also a group for those who are in on the joke, those who know we are not here for a long time, and to make the most of what little we have. ‘One Day’ is another record that will satisfy both sides.
Fucked Up Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu March 09 2023 - BRISTOL THE FLEECE
Fri March 10 2023 - EXETER Cavern
Sat March 11 2023 - CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
Sun March 12 2023 - SHEFFIELD Leadmill
Mon March 13 2023 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Cluny
Wed March 15 2023 - MANCHESTER Deaf Institute
Thu March 16 2023 - NOTTINGHAM Bodega Social Club
Fri March 17 2023 - BRIGHTON Patterns
Sat March 18 2023 - LONDON London Lafayette
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