Fire From The Hip by Finn Wolfhard // Album Review
The album was recorded live with an analog approach in the studio, which Finn and his collaborators set out to do in order to capture the energy of a stage performance to then be able to translate directly back into a real crowd. As the sole writer and producer of this album, Finn wanted to make a record that embodied the electric feeling of a live band, paired with the non‑digital and imperfect qualities that recording straight to tape brings to the work, reminiscent of the specific era of music he is trying to channel. In an interview with Coup de Main, Finn said, "I'll never forget recording this album. It was such a special experience being surrounded by some of my closest friends, whose support meant a lot to me. They brought so many incredible ideas to the table and their creativity helped shape the record into what it is."
Just as he did with Happy Birthday, much of this music is written in a stream-of-consciousness style of songwriting, pulling from a varied range of influences and weaving so much of his personality and charismatic humor into these songs. They are filled with interesting and funny takes on pop culture moments, like reciting both parts of the infamous Taylor Swift and Kanye West onstage interaction during the 2009 VMAs on the opening song "I'll Let You Finish", or offering an alternate spin on Nicole Kidman's iconic AMC Theaters introduction with the lyric "We come to this place for the magic, and isn't it tragic to see the sausage made" on "Lights Go Down". It is such a clever inclusion that touches on the separation from his career in the film industry and everything outside of it, blurring the lines between movie magic and real life. "I grew up in such an incredible time for pop culture, of course my music is influenced by these events I lived through," Finn said in an interview with NME.
"Lights Go Down" is also one of the more traditional takes on country and Americana music, which is something he channels throughout the album for the first time. It's paired with many of the garage and indie rock influences that have long defined Finn's sound across everything he has made thus far, as well. That exploration continues on "Trail", which features beautiful songwriting and harmonies with vocalist Gep Repasky, who brings so much light to the songs her vocals appear on. The track was written about his grandparents giving birth to his dad in Trail, British Columbia, grounding the song in a deeply personal piece of his family history.
The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and other classic 60's and 70's rock bands also stand out as a clear influence for Finn on this album. He pairs these nostalgic sounds with many modern and witty references, with "Maggie" being one of the best examples of this. The lyric; "I try to touch you, you think I love you, you read to kinds just like George W" being one of the funniest moments of the track. The song is written from a largely fictional place, one that actually predates his debut album, and does such a great job at blending vintage rock sensibilities with sharp, contemporary humor in a way that feels so distinctly his own. "Nice To Meet You Again" also brings more of a distinct Laurel Canyon folk sound to the album, which is paired with such a cute sentiment too. Songs like "Crater" and "Oscilloscope" similarly bring many of those influences to the forefront as well.
Throughout Fire From The Hip, Finn is also very transparent about some of the inner struggles he has faced and his continuous pursuit of trying to make sense of who he is personally and artistically. "Tunnels" is one of the most evocative of these songs, following through on a lot of the expansion from where his debut left off. It grapples with the changes headed his way and the feeling of being on the precipice of a major life shift, as a significant chapter is coming to a close. Much of this song was inspired by his time living in Atlanta, Georgia while filming Stranger Things for the better part of the last decade, so a lot of it is framed as a farewell to the place and the people that shaped so much of who he is and the very formative years he spent there.
On this song, he grapples with feelings of loneliness and mortality, life and death, and everything in between. "There's a song called 'Tunnels' that's about me coming to terms with that show being over. I lived in a neighborhood that only had two ways out. One was the long way, and one was through a tunnel," Finn said in an interview with EE72. "It was about the idea of leaving something behind, being lost, but still having support around you and those relationships. It definitely was super influential on me and will continue to be."
The opening lines - "I said I was afraid of death, you said remember before your birth" - were inspired by a conversation he had with his friend and Stranger Things co‑star Gaten Matarazzo. "And then I meet people who are super lax about death, like Gaten...we had a long death talk and he was so unworried about it. He was just like, oh, do you remember when you were born? I was like, no. He was like, that's what it is. I was like, oh! And it calmed me down so much," Finn said in an interview with Mythical Kitchen.
So much of Finn's music up to this point has been rooted in these very intimate coming‑of‑age stories and experiences, and "Tunnels" best depicts a lot of the emotions that have shaped the music he has been working on, especially since the show ended. "I'll walk back to my sister's, she said I'm not alone" is another really simple but beautiful lyric that captures the impact of these grounding relationships that have carried him through all of the changes his life has brought.
The openness in which he depicts these feelings is also very prevalent on "Common Side Effects", where he writes about taking medication to feel better by any means necessary. The song builds toward him reading off a long list of common side effects in the second half; "I feel drowsy, aggressive, angry, difficulty with speaking..." before ending with the repeated refrain of "I feel better". The gritty, raw edges of the song mirror the emotional volatility he's describing as he tries to find relief from these feelings.
One of the most special songs Finn has written is "Follow", which features Twin Peaks' Clay Frankel singing on the first verse. This is also one of the oldest songs on the album, with early demos dating back to 2019. It pulls from 60's and 70's classic rock influences in such a vivid way, with the incredible guitar riff bringing such a distinctly nostalgic haze to Fire From The Hip.
"Once in a while, I feel like I'm not so alone," they each sing in their respective verses, which is a sentiment that later blooms into the beautiful chorus: "No matter where you are, I'll follow, you're like a shining star, I'll follow, No matter where you go, I'll follow, deep in your heart, you know, I'll follow, I'll follow".
"To me, it's the duality of these two things. The verses being more about too afraid to go out, too afraid to maybe follow this person who you really have feelings for but then just feeling sorry for yourself," Finn said in an interview with Billboard. "But then also this idea of the explosive nature of how things can change so fast. How one night you can be feeling really down about things, and then something happens, and you end up feeling like you could follow this person to the ends of the earth. It's this idea between second-guessing yourself about feelings you have, and lust versus actual love, and trying to find something pure."
"Good Morning" is an interesting moment at the end of the record, written almost like a daydream of the life he hopes to have one day. It's simple and quite short, but that's exactly what makes it feel so impactful. "I saw my door open up to the outside with a dog and a wife," he sings in the second verse, painting a simple portrait of a life he hasn't lived yet, but can see so clearly. This song is such a sweet precursor to the life and work he may grow into in the future, which is such a heartfelt perspective to be writing from.
"The Climb (Not That One)" is the closer for Fire From The Hip, which is an introspective song rooted in friendship and community - themes that run through so much of this album in different ways. It has a very Beatles-esque style that Finn captures so well, and is largely such an thoughtful and understated way to close a record that started with such an angsty opening with "I'll Let You Finish".
It was inspired by the stubbornness of a friendship falling apart because neither person was willing to, or able, to communicate what they were actually feeling. While the song is very sincere, it still carries the funny, witty edge that runs through the entire album. The title itself is a playful nod to Miley Cyrus' classic "The Climb", though Finn uses it to explore something rooted in a more personal experience.
"It's just about stubbornness and the idea of someone throwing away a relationship because they've convinced themselves they're right about something," Finn said in an interview with DORK. "It happens a lot with male friendships, because you don't really talk as much."
"Was it worth the climb? Was it worth the ride? To be so reliant on such a tyrant?" he sings in the final verse. "Havе I lost my mind? Am I a loyal friend? To you, I'm not, to me, I am".
With Fire From The Hip, Finn expands so much of his sound and influences and showcases how he is continuing to come into his own as a musician. It's evident that music has always been such a big part of his life, and its so exciting to see him use it as an artistic outlet separate from his acting work, with continued growth and artistic confidence building with each new release.
Thanks for reading! Check out more of my reviews of Finn Wolfhard's music linked here and below - including my review of his debut album Happy Birthday!
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