Since their formation in 2014, Boston’s Fiddlehead has been mixing elements of melodic hardcore, alternative rock, and emo together into a mix of aggressive and reflective music. With members who have been in bands like Basement and Have Heart, Fiddlehead’s previous two albums evoked a strong sense of nostalgia while still feeling fresh. 2021’s Between the Richness branched out a bit further into the melodic side of the spectrum compared to some of the rawness and intensity of Springtime and Blind, so it makes sense that for album number three the group has expanded upon both sides. Given the brevity of the material some of the songs come and go without fully standing out, but the ones that do are so strong that they’ll be stuck in your head for some time to come.
Death is Nothing to Us makes it clear that even though Fiddlehead has their fair share of softer, reflective moments that push towards alternative rock and emo, they haven’t lost their hardcore and punk roots. Opener “The Deathlife” delivers classic melodic hardcore style riffing that has some brighter flourishes to the tonality but also has quite a bit of weight and a rawer edge behind it. At a minute in length, it offers a quick burst of intensity before transitioning over to some softer melodies on “Sleepyhead”. Here the group settles into a very alternative rock cadence, with the guitars expanding outwards over the recording with a shimmer while the drums pop out with a crunchier tone. There’s a nice balance between the aggressive and mellow side of the spectrum throughout the album, and with only two songs running past the three-minute mark it doesn’t take long for Fiddlehead to shift gears. As much as I appreciate brevity and bands not stretching things out to the point of repetition, it does sometimes feel like they’re cutting themselves off a bit too early here and as a result some of the material blurs together over repeat listens. But when Fiddlehead hits that sweet spot between rawness and hook driven riffing they leave a lasting impression. I really like “Sleepyhead”, “Sullenboy”, and “Queen of Limerick” as they have the type of guitar leads that get stuck in your head almost instantly and all showcase slightly different sides of the band’s approach.
Patrick Flynn’s emotional vocals have played a significant role in what gave Have Heart’s material lasting impact, and that’s been true throughout Fiddlehead’s discography as well. He continues to be in fine form throughout Death is Nothing to Us, straddling the line between the hardcore/punk side of the spectrum and the alternative rock side. “The Deathlife” greets you with gruffer singing/screaming that makes it clear that Flynn and company still have plenty of bite left, but songs like “Welcome to the Situation” skew towards the opposite end of the spectrum and find the vocals heading towards more reflective and lighter singing. The way that Fiddlehead’s vocal work seamlessly moves from rawer screaming/singing over to lighter, airier singing that has a more melancholic and reflective tone works to their advantage, as they maintain a consistent energy level and there are quite a few verses that will hook listeners alongside the riffs.
Fiddlehead’s third album naturally fuses the styles they’ve explored on their last two efforts while continuing to expand outwards. Where some bands fall into a comfortable spot within melodic hardcore or emo spaces, these guys really span the full spectrum of all these styles and do so with concise hooks in mind. They do cut things a bit too short at certain points, making some of the songs come and go without fully hitting that peak level, but the ones that do have enough plenty of staying power. Almost ten years in, Fiddlehead are still at the top of their game and are an exciting act for anyone that likes anything punk or emo adjacent. Death is Nothing to Us is available from Run For Cover Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg