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Fiya

Better Days
2005
No Idea

Fiya - Better Days (Cover Artwork)


Review by: OC
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No Idea Records (Logo)

Published on August 9th 2005

Despite the continuing popularity of emo-infused pop, punk and metal, the last year has seen the quiet return of smart, aggressive punk that truly rocks. Fiya’s recent No Idea Records debut, entitled Better Days, is a great example of this much-appreciated revival.

Like many No Idea bands, Fiya’s somewhat “rough” sound could be described as Hot Water Music-influenced. This is deceptive, however, as Fiya rips through their songs with one primary vocalist and near-reckless abandon. Ultimately, this approach seems to have less in common with Hot Water Music than with early 90's stalwarts like Crimpshrine, Whack/Blight-era Jawbreaker, and Cringer.

Speed is definitely a distinguishing characteristic of Fiya. The ten songs of Better Days fly by in just over sixteen minutes, but contain highlights like “Tell Your Children,” which opens with a ripping guitar hook and the brilliant “Guns In The House.” To their great credit, Fiya possesses the rare ability to write simple, intelligent and surprisingly literate songs that don’t get lost in metaphor or artsy fartsy pretension. An excellent example of this is the aforementioned “Guns In The House” (“We see people differently now, we’re keeping guns in the house”) as is the unexpectedly poignant commentary on getting older in “New Dog.”

For what it is, Better Days is pretty much perfect and highly recommended to fans of the early-90's Gilman Street scene, the No Idea Records crowd, skateboarders, little babies and so on.

(Those interested in checking the band out first hand should investigate the band's webpage, which has audio samples of both “Tell Your Children” and “Guns In The House.”)



People who liked this also liked:
Paint It Black - New LexiconRiverboat Gamblers - To the Confusion of Our EnemiesDead to Me - Cuban BallerinaThe Indecision Alarm - The Indecision AlarmSamiam - AstrayLucero - That Much Further WestManifesto Jukebox - RemedyPlanes Mistaken for Stars - MercyAnnalise - Here's to HopeHot Water Music - Fuel For The Hate Game



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    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 11, 2005 at 5:11 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Took me ages to get a copy in the UK but i picked up the latest Strike Force Diablo album the other day (always thought this was a dam good name for a band too) . Totally, totally underated band and album, i think it's the best record they have put out so far. Come tour the UK....oh yeah!.
    Also i seriously have not stopped listening to The Holy Mountain "Bloodstains across your face" LP, so i really should pick up the latest record along with this Fiya LP.

    Wow i'm a total record collecting geek.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 11, 2005 at 12:31 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    no idea has a midas touch.

    I would like to say the last 3-4 no idea releases production has been kind of muddled, even for them, which I usually love, and all those records were tops, but i dont know, it was a cassette.

    Once I get the vinyl, i imagine this will clear up. Or at least be cool to stare at.

    and where's GUNMOLL!

    wyzo

    Posted by dazed on 2005-08-10 18:52:12

    Good live band.

    As long as the conversation is mostly No Idea-based the new Holy Mountain is a hell of an improvement and a pretty excellent album. I'm about to go see if there's a review for that.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 at 9:43 AM (EDT)

    "FFTHG blows finding the rhythms out of the fucking water"

    I'm sorry, I guess you know me and my opinions..my fault.

    Blow me.

    Posted by AlmostPunkEnough on 2005-08-10 05:19:00

    "Oh, whoops, never mind, the review's for Greatest Story Ever Hula'd. All apologies for the pending disappointment."

    tease... i'd just review it myself, but i would hope you would never post drivel that bad.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 at 2:10 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Great record. It took me a few listens to get into it, because I loved the first one so much: "Make Joy, Make Strength." It isn't quite up to par with that album, because it lacks the diversity in rhythm changes and styles, but it's still an intense heartfelt punk record. One of the best bands around right now.

    - Chris Kretzer

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 11:30 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Yes, that's right "eloguently."

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 11:29 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Eloguently said.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 11:27 PM (EDT)

    The comment below was mine, I'll own up to it.

    -notfeelingcreative

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 11:27 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    I bought this album, I like it, I have nothing meaningful nor eloquent to add.

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-08-09 16:54:13

    i keep thinking of prodigy.

    "i'm the fiya starter"

    - jone stheb ones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

    Posted by inagreendase on 2005-08-09 13:47:37

    Oh, whoops, never mind, the review's for Greatest Story Ever Hula'd. All apologies for the pending disappointment.

    Posted by AlmostPunkEnough on 2005-08-09 13:25:33

    "There's one that was written a while ago, I'll be posting it Friday."

    awesome.

    Posted by inagreendase on 2005-08-09 12:42:56

    hell yes, someone else who likes that album. someone here definitley needs to review it asap.

    There's one that was written a while ago, I'll be posting it Friday.

    Posted by CrookedSuperhero on 2005-08-09 11:47:10

    "4. Hot water music-Finding the rhythms"

    Come on.... I know it's cool to be different but even a monkey can see FFTHG blows FTR out of the fucking water.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 11:27 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    It's on No Idea the best label in the world, Fiya are a great band, they are on no idea, they are great, can you see the relationship between my comments?

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 10:30 AM (EDT)

    That should be "Whack and Blight-era Jawbreaker."

    One of the outstanding things about this release is it holds up well over repeated listens - even grows on you. And I, for one, thought the rough production compliments the music (please note that "rough" does not equal "bad").

    OC

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 9:44 AM (EDT)

    Top 10 No Idea releases:
    1. I hate myself-Four songs
    2. Unitas-Porch life
    3. Clairmel-Fairweather fan
    4. Hot water music-Finding the rhythms
    5. Panthro UK united 13-Sound of a gun
    6. Tired from now on-Romantic
    7. The blacktop cadence-Chemistry for changing times
    8. Radon-7"
    9. Tomorrow-The industry of natural occurence
    10. Spoke-All we need of hell

    I'll throw Small brown bike, Army of ponch, Pung, Grabass, True north, Planes...and Palatka in there for honorable mention.

    ----Travis

    Posted by shindo on 2005-08-09 06:40:58

    "Ask Mark Twain" IS the new hotness. That AssholeParade release No Idea just did is pretty sick too.

    I couldn't get into this record. Maybe I'll have to give it another shot.

    -adam

    Posted by AlmostPunkEnough on 2005-08-09 04:29:55
    My Score:

    (Grabass' "Ask Mark Twain" is the new hotness)

    hell yes, someone else who likes that album. someone here definitley needs to review it asap.

    i haven't heard the new Fiya stuff yet, but i enjoyed the last cd enough that i'll check it out.

    score is for the new Grabass Charlestons.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 3:25 AM (EDT)

    People seem to misinterpret bands that play a style of music similar to HWM as automatically being "influenced" by that particular band. HWM and lots of similar-sounding bands all surfaced at around the same time, and it's been continuing unabated. All of them have a common ground in one way or another, so in many ways they may sound alike.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 2:58 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    The first full length was so much superior; the production and song variation here is definitely lacking.

    Posted by Inspection12e on 2005-08-09 01:15:28

    Good insturmentation. The vocals kind of annoy me though.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 1:03 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    I'm enjoying this. Not a bad record. Yet you can pretty much say that about almost the whole No Idea catalog.

    Ramo
    (Grabass' "Ask Mark Twain" is the new hotness)

    Posted by inagreendase on 2005-08-09 01:00:05
    My Score:

    This is a pretty good album. I was gonna mention something about the HWM influence in my review too (even as a generally hardcore punk record) but it just seems futile since the same can be said for about one in every three No Idea releases...not that it's a bad thing.

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