Fiya

Fiya: Better DaysBetter Days (2005)
No Idea Records

Reviewer Rating: 4

Contributed by: JAmbrOC
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on August 9th 2005Despite 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.

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.")

Login to rate this album

People who liked this also liked:

Please login or register to post comments.What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?

Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (August 11, 2005)

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.

Anonymous (August 11, 2005)

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

dazed (August 10, 2005)

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.

Anonymous (August 10, 2005)

"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.

AlmostPunkEnough (August 10, 2005)

"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.

Anonymous (August 10, 2005)

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

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

Yes, that's right "eloguently."

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

Eloguently said.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

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

-notfeelingcreative

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

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

stevejonestherealbones (August 9, 2005)

i keep thinking of prodigy.

"i'm the fiya starter"

- jone stheb ones

- stevejones8770@yahoo.com

inagreendase (August 9, 2005)

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

AlmostPunkEnough (August 9, 2005)

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

awesome.

inagreendase (August 9, 2005)

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.

CrookedSuperhero (August 9, 2005)

"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.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

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?

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

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

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

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

adam (August 9, 2005)

"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

AlmostPunkEnough (August 9, 2005)

(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.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

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.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

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

Inspection12e (August 9, 2005)

Good insturmentation. The vocals kind of annoy me though.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

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)

inagreendase (August 9, 2005)

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.