“We built a highway big enough to stop time.”
Fucked Up traditionally eschew their own tradition. Outside of vocalist Damian Abraham‘s reliable rasp, one album departs significantly from the next. The band’s latest triumph Year of the Horse, released in 2021, called back to rock operas yet with modern sensibilities. It proved one of the year’s most impressive, which made subsequent EP Oberon a bit disappointing in comparison with its dramatically smaller scope, though admittedly by design.
With One Day, Fucked Up chooses another more digestible package, this time delivering 10 tracks at almost exactly 40 minutes. The first LP since the departure of guitarist Ben Cook, it starts off with the punk-driven “Found”:
There I stood on the shore,
Of a story we don’t tell anymore.
All the names were erased,
Buried under a land that my people stole.
This track serves as a reasonably true preview of what to expect with this album. The 15-minute long epics of the previous album give way to tighter, more direct and straightforward numbers. Perhaps to a huge fan of Year of the Horse or David Comes to Life, such as myself, this may prove somewhat disappointing. However, each track demonstrates unquestionable competence at least, with some memorable moments packed in at regular intervals.
Below, the sea was full of monsters
Above, the thunder broke the sky
What led me on this path of plunder
Now as I sink I wonder why
Subsequent song “I Think I Might Be Weird” sounds like a brighter, more affectionately-awkward affair. One might hear something almost “Tonight, Tonight”-esque about its intro and chorus, though the riffs remain signature Fucked Up. Dissonance builds between the lead vocals and often optimistic energy provided by the backing band, which tracks like this one exploit, especially as the sickly sweet bridge is belted out for just a few seconds to evoke the title.
A million years of time it took,
For our eyes to align to share the look,
Of every day at once.
Title track “One Day” harkens back to the epic style the most. The longest on the album, its highlight comes in the form of dual-vocal chorus that adds an extra dimension to the piece. The band brings out all the stops for this one, guitar solo, instrumental bridge, excellent riffing, all combining to create one of the stronger tracks down the stretch of the album.
Finally, closer “Roar”, one of the most eclectic and satisfying cuts on the album with its dizzying guitar effects, closes the door on an unquestionably solid and enjoyable journey. Though the breadth and depth of some previous work has been excluded here by choice, the total package still preserves Fucked Up‘s status as one of the most underappreciated bands in hardcore.
8/10
One Day comes out this Friday, January 27 and with pre-orders here.