Friko is made up of Chicago natives Vocalist and Guitarist, Niko Kapetan and Drummer Bailey Minzenberger. After a couple EPs and singles they’ve finally released their debut album. “Where we’ve been, Where we go from here,” mixes chamber-pop with elements of pop-punk to make a soundscape that sounds as somber as it does catchy.

The opening track, “Where We’ve Been,” does a great job of showcasing the sound of the album. It begins slowly sounding almost folky but eventually crescendos into something so loud and intense that it borders on noise rock.

“For Ella” is a much more low-key cut from the track list that doesn’t play its full hand until the second half. For the beginning the song is entirely just airy vocals and a somber piano but around the halfway point these massive swelling strings are layered in that pair perfectly with the piano and haunting vocals. 

“Statues” is an indie rock jam with echoey vocals and a guitar so distorted that it at points sounds more like a synth. In the second half of the song the drums over-power everything to the point where they sound like they’re breaking the speakers. It’s easily the catchiest track on the entire album and sounds like it could’ve easily been a hit in the early 2010s. 

The second to last track, “Get Numb To It,” is the most indie rock the album ever gets. Catchy riffs, solid drumming and the memorable refrain of “No, it never gets better, it just gets twice as bad because you let it,” will make this track stick with you long after the album is over.

“Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here” is a fantastic project and when you take into account how this band is still in their infancy it can only cause excitement for what they make in the future.