Friko - Where we’ve been, Where we go from here
Indie Rock – Released February 16, 2024 – 9 songs, 36 mins
LUNDI
TSR has found some absolute gems in our early days as a blog. While we are certainly a team at the end of the day, we also have our individual roles to play, and my favourite duty can also be the most stressful. When New Music Friday hits I am on the hunt for the next best album and nothing is quite as satisfying as finding the mesmerizing debut from the up and comer you’ve never heard of before. But any jubilation can quickly turn to stress as I pass off the recommendation and await the vetting process from my brothers in music. Sometimes things don’t get through the wringer, but when the excitement of mine is matched it usually turns into something great. I can safely say I have never hoped as hard for an album to make the review docket as I did with Friko’s Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here as it’s taken hold of me from the very first listen and only latched on more with each additional spin.
Friko’s debut is massive. So much so that one of the first jotted notes on Where We’ve Been was how great it was to dissect a musical collective/jam band the likes of Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene or My Morning Jacket. Well, maybe TSR will get to that someday as despite these bombastic sounds, Friko is no more than the formidable duo of Niko Kapetan and Bailey Minzenberger. While admiration and enjoyment were already checked boxes, it was at that moment of writing research that this album elevated to something truly special.
We often talk of how engineers and producers can utilize studio magic to elevate a band. The digital and artificial world we live in has blown the door wide open for future possibilities, and while the fingerprints of excellent production are all over this album it is so well masked that the entirety of this debut feels tangible. You can envision the band pushing the limits of traditional instrumentation, with each track crafted whereby you can reach out and grab every single individual element. Co-Producers Scott Tallarida and Jack Henry aptly let the music breathe to the point that the album feels much more like purposely rough recording booth musical aptitude than the engineered type output that rules the charts today.
Friko and their production team also are to be rewarded for an excellent track listing that results in perfect musical pacing. Too much of a single sound is a very real conundrum rock bands deal with and even though the stripped down tracks For Ella and Until I’m With You are unlikely to be cemented as album favourites over the likes of the high octane singles Crashing Through or Get Numb to It! they are entirely necessary for the albums success. Slow clap for that recognition and decision. There’s a beauty is album layout that can honestly feel a bit lost in today’s streaming age.
Kapetan and Minzenberger just ooze chemistry no matter whether you look at their lyrical co-writing, song structure decision making or vocal harmonies. Even with the last item being supported by friends, family and even their producers, this album is firmly built on a long standing relationship of two bandmates who simply understand what they want and how to work with each other. It reminds me of an interview with legendary producer Rick Rubin whereby he perfectly describes how the best music is made when the artist puts themselves first, and not by formulating music with the mindset of entertaining the masses. Where We’ve Been feels extremely personal. An album Friko made for themselves. Despite penning the “same sad song”, the pure unbridled musical enjoyment of the duo jumps out of the speakers. Friko’s debut is an artist at work, frantically disorienting, beautiful art that is widely entertaining. A balance few achieve. It’s what indie rock was all about, resulting in an album that’s beautifully nostalgic to a genre title that no longer carries the meaning of what it once did.
Friko flawlessly execute a creative vision on their debut album without compromise. Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here is as artistically pleasing as it is downright entertaining.
Overall Rating: 8.7/10
Favourite Song: Crashing Through
ROZ
Friko, Friko, Friko – a name that I had never heard before until this week’s album pick registered with the crew here at Too Sweet Reviews. Hell, you could probably mix their name up with some other indie band, that’s how obscure this pick was. The Chicago-based duo Niko Kapetan (vocals, guitar, piano) and Bailey Minzenberger (drums, backing vocals) are fresh off the release of their debut studio album Where we’ve been, Where we go from here and TSR is hot on their trail. Dozens of listens have been had, my headphones have been put down, now here are my thoughts.
Where we’ve been, Where we go from here is the direct result of a multi-year effort, a track listing of songs written and put together through the common practices that many small, low budget rock bands share. Basement jam sessions, low paying local gigs; Friko is as grassroots as it gets. Backed by close friends Jack Henry and Scott Tallarida, the duo’s studio album is very much a labour of love; Tallarida’s recording studio was lent out to the band at zero charge while Henry’s mixing skills were offered at the most basic rate one could offer. The late nights and seemingly unlimited recording sessions ultimately came together to serve as not only the heart and soul of the album, but also what makes Where we’ve been so sonically unique within the confines of the genres typically cookie-cutter framework.
With Where we’ve been, it’s not about sounding perfect – it’s about the well designed, well performed and well mixed perfection of using imperfections. The first thing I notice through each rinse of the album is how great the mixing is. If you ever get the chance to ask one, you can obtain confirmation regarding my next statement: it is every mix engineer’s dream to have a large quantity of raw material to work with, and from all accounts, Friko delivered. The energy displacement across the listing could be compared to a jagged shoreline on a stormy day, with waves crashing in before pulling back and crashing in again, over and over. Opening song Where We’ve Been symbolizes these actions as good as any, as its light acoustic arrangement and low thumping, almost muted kick-drum cascades into a full on crescendo by the end of the listen. Niko’s trembling vocal performance, layered over early 2000’s indie rock stylings, take you by the hand and lead you through Crimson to Chrome into the utterly fantastic Crashing Through before sitting you down on For Ella, a beautiful piano ballad showcasing Niko’s talents on the stick. The energy ebbs and flows in this way throughout the entire length of the album, a formula that is simple in concept yet incredibly effective.
The warm, comforting fuzz of Friko’s guitar pedal arsenal adds a welcoming grit across the board but most significantly to Chemical, a song which hooks me in and sticks with me for the entirety of my week. All throughout Where we’ve been, I find unique guitar and vocal effects being used to outstanding degrees, with the room itself even being used as an instrument at times through the clever use of mixing room noise into the vocal chain. Varying distances between Niko and the microphone allow for a mix of dry, direct vocals and washed out, spacey, almost shoegaze-esque vocals. Inside my producer-wired brain I daydream about how wonderful the mixing and arrangement sessions must have been for the four individuals involved on this record, however my jealousy quickly fades back into enjoyment. This cycle repeats ad nauseum yet not once do I tire of the experience, regardless of whatever apparent ceiling some could argue this particular flavor of music may have.
In this interview that I read, the band stated that up until this album was released they were working day jobs. I really hope that neither band member will have to suffer through any type of day job from here on out; after listening to their art, it just doesn’t seem right. Thankfully, I am very confident that the future is about to shine a hell of a lot brighter for the duo now that this album is out in the world. Modern indie rock sensibilities amplified by a heavy dose of millennial nostalgia – Friko's debut album is an incredibly impressive one, proving that authenticity and good old fashioned hard work truly are the best ingredients for making a quality record.
Overall Rating: 8.4/10
Favourite Song: Chemical
REID
Two months into the year and it’s official – 2024 is off to a hot start! Hopefully you’ve been following our Instagram page as TSR has you covered. This includes stories to notify of releases, dedicated reels for personal favourites and as always, written reviews of the best. The upcoming schedule is very intriguing so let’s hope these artists can keep up the momentum!
Forecasting the year with new albums from popular artists is fun but what has become our bread and butter is the discovery of the unknown. You can’t expect the unexpected and it’s exciting every time! Which brings us to today’s review of indie rock duo, Friko, with their first studio release, Where we’ve been, Where we go from here. Checking in at just shy of 175K monthly listeners on Spotify, they’re new on the scene and looking to be the next climber. Do they have what it takes?
The initial reaction from hearing Friko’s opening, titular track was it’s a welcome throwback to indie rock of yesteryear. The rich, build-up sound created by Chicago natives, Niko Kapetan and Bailey Minzenberger is captivating. Niko’s voice, along with the lead guitar, is pure, simple and alluring to begin. As tension of life’s uncertainties is added to this story, it’s reflected with shrieking background vocals and distorted guitars before winding down to close as it began. Their range shines through on track one and ultimately ends up being this record’s biggest strength.
From here, Niko and Bailey boast an array of styles to sink your teeth in. Catchy rock songs with distorted guitars and catchy bass lines? Try Crimson to Chrome, Crashing Through and Get Numb To It!. The last of the three doubles as your celebratory, stadium anthem. Looking for soft piano or guitar-led ballads with some strings and Niko’s vocals at the forefront? Go with For Ella, Until I’m With You or Cardinal. Three excellent tunes. Chemical and Statues are the wild cards but certainly not in a negative light. The former has a tight punk rock guitar riff and the latter a more chill, laid back pace. The interesting part of these two is the vocals, as Niko scales it back, going primarily deadpan for more of a shoegaze feel. The influences are plentiful and the duo mixes it up effectively.
This creative mix needs a vision and the album’s composition is done to near perfection. We often talk of album feel and Friko knocks it out of the park. There’s a dark, eerie feeling in the air and it is maintained from start to finish. It begins with the change of pace in the opener with a theme of existential dread. Niko sings ‘A life of only errands will make a fool out of you. And your teeth hurt more than, than the day before. It’s time to get another job.’ This vibe continues and is accentuated through haunting intricacies in the ballads, intros and outros extended with purpose and lyrics of apathy. Someday, we’ll lay, Statues of our own. For now, we’ll bow, To memories made of stone (Statues). Another quality moment worth noting comes at the conclusion of the penultimate song, Get Numb To It!. They throw it back to the opener with a laid back, singalong version of the chorus by the bandmates, creating a full circle moment for the album. All in all, it’s a thoroughly thought out and produced thirty-six minutes.
On Where we’ve been, Where we go from here, Friko has drawn from and built upon indie influences before them to deliver their own diverse sound. To pull this off as a duo and on your first studio release makes it all the more impressive.
Overall Rating: 8.2/10
Favourite Song: Where We’ve Been