Finn Wolfhard Revisits His Experiences in a Vulnerable Light in New Album: "Fire From The Hip"

RIYL: The Strokes, The Lemon Twigs, The Kinks, Sharp Pins, Alex G

Finn Wolfhard embraces the contrasting realities of adulthood on his sophomore album, "Fire From The Hip," exploring the tension between nostalgia and growth, public perception and private experience. Through memories, pop culture, and moments that blur the line between public and private life, Wolfhard examines the contradictions that come with growing up.

The first instance of this comes at the end of album opener 'I'll Let You Finish' where Wolfhard recites the 2010 VMA award moment where Kanye West famously interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Video of the Year. While the usage of this moment stirred controversy among Taylor Swift fans who view the interruption as a defining moment in her career, the use of the moment was more intentional than it seems at first glance. While the moment provides comic relief to break up recounting of raw experiences and feelings, following in line of the dry humor Wolfhard exhibits in many interviews and guest appearances, the nod to the VMAs experience invites comparisons to Wolfhard's own experience entering the public eye as a child after the success of Stranger Things. Whether intentional or not, it reinforces the album's recurring tension between public spectacle and private experience. It's the first glimpse of the album's central tension: moments that seem playful on the surface often reveal something far more vulnerable underneath.

The contrasting realities theme continues with lines exploring the desire to be different than your true self, like "I took Boomers just to feel like George Clooney". Rather than describing literal transformation, the lyric speaks to the gap between who you are and who you wish you could be, another example of the conflicting realities that define the record. As well, the album touches on the conflict of being in shows and films and then still expecting to watch films the same way with "We come to this place for the magic and isn't it tragic to see the sausage made?". It seems that the magic of film and television has become more complicated for Wolfhard, while music provides an outlet to confront those emotions with a renewed sense of freedom.

Wolfhard continues the contrasting realities theme with the comparison between this album and his debut solo LP Happy Birthday. While Happy Birthday explores some of the similar themes of longing for something different, emotions that come along with growing up in the spotlight, and coming into a sense of self as you move into adulthood, these emotions are covered from a space of depression, fear, and sadness. Fire From The Hip explores these topics from a perspective of curiosity, comedy, and acceptance, a beautiful display of growth as Wolfhard accepts himself outside of Stranger Things and into his solo music career.

Sonically, Fire From The Hip trades the introspective indie pop of Happy Birthday for a guitar-forward blend of garage rock, power pop, and British Invasion-inspired songwriting. Produced alongside Cadien Lake James and Clay Frankel of Twin Peaks and Gep Repasky of Lunar Vacation, the record embraces loose performances, warm analog textures, and hook-heavy melodies that feel simultaneously nostalgic and fresh.

The retro-inflected, Americana-leaning indie rock feels like Finn finding his sound and voice with a renewed sense of confidence and I'm excited to hear how he explores this sound live. Finn embarks on the Common Side Effects Tour next week. Check out the tour dates on his website and get your tickets! Let us know what shows we'll see you at! Stream Fire From The Hip below or wherever you stream music!