Review

By Tony Cunningham | 17/07/2026

For plenty of artists, a second album is where expectations begin to outweigh excitement. Thankfully, Fire From The Hip finds Finn Wolfhard sounding far less interested in proving himself than simply making the music he wants to make. The result is a confident, colourful indie rock record that expands on the lo-fi foundations of Happy Birthday without sacrificing the youthful sincerity that made his solo debut so appealing. Opening with the infectious I'll Let You Finish, Wolfhard wastes little time showcasing the growth in his songwriting. The scrappy bedroom recordings of his first album have blossomed into something brighter and fuller, with crisp guitars, richer arrangements and melodies that refuse to leave your head. While the production is noticeably bigger, it never feels overworked, allowing each song's personality to shine through naturally. There's a refreshing confidence running throughout the record. Common Side Effects bounces along with carefree indie charm, while Lights Go Down slows the pace with a hazy Americana glow, weaving organ and fiddle into one of the album's most atmospheric moments. Elsewhere, Follow pairs shimmering guitars with an effortless groove that feels tailor-made for long summer evenings, before Tunnels delivers one of the record's emotional high points through quietly thoughtful lyricism. Not every experiment lands quite as cleanly. Acoustic numbers such as Trail and The Climb (Not That One) occasionally drift by without leaving the same lasting impression as the album's livelier moments. That said, the folk-leaning Maggie proves Wolfhard is more than capable of pulling off the stripped-back approach when the songwriting is strong enough to carry it. What makes Fire From The Hip so engaging isn't just its polished sound but the personality stitched into every track. Echoes of Pavement, Alex G, Mac DeMarco and Elliott Smith are easy to spot, yet the album rarely feels derivative. Instead, Wolfhard wears his influences proudly while gradually carving out an identity that belongs entirely to him. For someone still balancing life as an actor with an increasingly credible music career, this feels like a significant leap forward. Fire From The Hip is bigger, bolder and more adventurous than its predecessor, demonstrating genuine artistic growth without abandoning the warmth and honesty that made listeners take notice in the first place. If Happy Birthday introduced Finn Wolfhard the musician, Fire From The Hip confirms he's becoming an artist worth following on his own merits.