Fucked Up – One Day LP / CD

Description

Fucked Up have been known for their epic scale in the past, from towering concept albums to 12-hour performancesso it might be a surprise that their sixth studio album is their shortest to date, written and recorded in the confines of one literal day (hence the title). Dont mistake size for substance, though: The bands sound has only gotten bigger, more hard-charging, with even denser thickets of melody. If that sounds like a study in contrasts, well, thats Fucked Up for youand you shouldnt expect, or want, anything different.

I wanted to see what I could record in one day. That singular idea came to mind for guitaristMike Haliechukin the closing months of 2019, and it forms the ideological and structural backbone ofOne Day. Haliechuk got himself into a studio and proceeded to write and record the records ten tracks over three eight-hour sessions, reconnecting with the core of his and the bands songwriting essence in the process. After youve been in a band for this long, you lose track of what your sound actually is,he explains.Twenty-four hours can feel like a long time, but you can get a lot done then, too. It can feel like forever and one minute at the same time. Indeed, even though work onOne Daywas completed remotely, Fucked Up as a whole adhered to the 24-hour rule during the creative process. I got this email from Mike saying, I made this record in one day, and I want you to record drums on itbut you cant listen to it before you get into the studio, drummer Jonah Falco recalls. Isaw layers upon layers of guitar loops, and I dove in head-first and came out of it with a finished record.

Initially, Fucked Up vocalistDamian Abrahamwas also set to complete his vocals in similar fashionthat is, before the lockdowns of 2020 took place andOne Daywas put on the back burner for two years, as the band completed the gargantuanYear of the Horseproject that saw release last year. As it turns out, the isolation yielded creative dividends, as Abraham returned to contributing lyrics as well for the first time since 2014sGlass Boys. It almost felt like it might be the last time Id ever get to record vocals for anything, Abraham says of the stakes he felt while putting his part to tape, before reflecting on how he approached the lyrical process: What do I want to say to friends who arent here anymore? What do I want to say to myself? There was a lot of inner reflection going on, and after retreating into the fantasy world withYear of the Horse, this record is like were returning to real life.

The result is a record that sounds full-bodied and immediate, with music that burns brutally and passionately in a way that only Fucked Up can evoke. The guitars sound like ziggurats reaching to the sky, reaching dizzying levels of melodic interplay while always maintaining a tuneful clarityand the musical adventurousness that marked 2018s epic, lushDose Your Dreamsis plenty present here, too.
The album represents the realization of what Fucked Ups songwriting process has always been, which is the genesis of an idea from one person spread to other members. All of the development happened spontaneously with this album, which meant no time to second-guess. You had to be confident. AndOne Dayis an undeniable work of confidence from a band that continues to operate at the top of their game, making music thats guaranteed to last a lifetime and beyond.