The Fluke - Pop Punk, Alt - Chesterfield, MI
Between all of the economic decline and Matt Stafford woes, you’d think Detroit wouldn’t have time to have such a thriving positive local music scene, but it’s quite the opposite, actually. The Fluke, a pop punk band continuing to carry the torch for the genre monoliths from the early 2000's, somehow has learned to make the most of the unfortunate present, sublimating their post-recession anger into walls of powerchords since 2010, which, if you ask me, couldn’t have been a better choice.
2013’s “Underage Thinking” opens on a familiar, but welcomed note with “Greek Tragedy”, a lighthearted, human reflection on David West's past mistakes. West, the lead vocalist, does an incredibly smart thing by openly taking the blame (“I’m sorry I was that way”) without embellishing or sugarcoating the past (his actions were “like a cheap shot below the belt”), which is about as real as it can get in my book. Far too many lyricists fail to come to terms with their own short-comings, often painting themselves as some larger-than-life preachers that can do no wrong, but West shows himself as an actual person with actual problems, and becomes far more relatable in the end.
Thankfully, even though he may not have the perfect past, he’s got a great band to back him up. Austin Fillenworth opens up “Greek Tragedy” perfectly with an extended drum intro, fast but precise, before the rest of the band launches into the song, primarily composed of well-executed powerchords and palm-muting. “Twenty One (Underage Thinking)” has one of the strongest intros on the album, beginning only with a bass, but soon snowballing into a full-band assault. “Good Thing” ventures into NOFX territory, and “Slacker” is the best fast song that Sum 41 never wrote. The album closer, "Going Away", is a strong finish and the listener gets a chance to hear a different side of the fluke in this powerful pop punk ballad.
With “Underage Thinking”, The Fluke have crafted an engaging journey through 2000's pop punk, free of the clunky breakdowns and excessive harmonies that are all too prevalent in the modern style, and additionally free of the maudlin prepubescent lyrics, often way too fixated on loss. I didn’t think it was possible to do a mature take on such a commonly perceived immature genre, but The Fluke, not by chance, have found a way to update the sound without changing past conventions. It wasn’t an easy feat, and luckily for these Detroit boys, in a few years they’ll be able to reward themselves with a legal beer. Until then, they're going to have to settle for some underage shredding.
Listen to "Underage Thinking" Here:
https://soundcloud.com/thefluke/sets/underage-thinking
Website:
http://www.the-fluke.com/
Support on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fluke/181694685185425
By: Max Puhala
2013’s “Underage Thinking” opens on a familiar, but welcomed note with “Greek Tragedy”, a lighthearted, human reflection on David West's past mistakes. West, the lead vocalist, does an incredibly smart thing by openly taking the blame (“I’m sorry I was that way”) without embellishing or sugarcoating the past (his actions were “like a cheap shot below the belt”), which is about as real as it can get in my book. Far too many lyricists fail to come to terms with their own short-comings, often painting themselves as some larger-than-life preachers that can do no wrong, but West shows himself as an actual person with actual problems, and becomes far more relatable in the end.
Thankfully, even though he may not have the perfect past, he’s got a great band to back him up. Austin Fillenworth opens up “Greek Tragedy” perfectly with an extended drum intro, fast but precise, before the rest of the band launches into the song, primarily composed of well-executed powerchords and palm-muting. “Twenty One (Underage Thinking)” has one of the strongest intros on the album, beginning only with a bass, but soon snowballing into a full-band assault. “Good Thing” ventures into NOFX territory, and “Slacker” is the best fast song that Sum 41 never wrote. The album closer, "Going Away", is a strong finish and the listener gets a chance to hear a different side of the fluke in this powerful pop punk ballad.
With “Underage Thinking”, The Fluke have crafted an engaging journey through 2000's pop punk, free of the clunky breakdowns and excessive harmonies that are all too prevalent in the modern style, and additionally free of the maudlin prepubescent lyrics, often way too fixated on loss. I didn’t think it was possible to do a mature take on such a commonly perceived immature genre, but The Fluke, not by chance, have found a way to update the sound without changing past conventions. It wasn’t an easy feat, and luckily for these Detroit boys, in a few years they’ll be able to reward themselves with a legal beer. Until then, they're going to have to settle for some underage shredding.
Listen to "Underage Thinking" Here:
https://soundcloud.com/thefluke/sets/underage-thinking
Website:
http://www.the-fluke.com/
Support on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fluke/181694685185425
By: Max Puhala