Celebration Rock is the album that almost didn’t happen. After playing together for two years and releasing a couple of EPs, Japandroids’ debut Post-Nothing was meant as a posthumous footnote on their career together. That changed rather quickly with the mountains of critical acclaim that followed their 2009 debut. So now with a bevy of fans and a heavy dose of blogosphere hype the Vancouver duo of Brian King and David Prowse give us their sophomore LP.
The raucous mix of garage, punk and noise that Japandroids serve up is a lot more accessible than the harsh building blocks they employ might signify. There’s something uber-catchy about this stuff. Each track is full of relentlessly powerful guitar riffs, hard-hitting drums and hook-laden vocals. Second track ‘Fire’s Highway’ exemplifies the band’s aesthetic perfectly, and if Post-Nothing was your thing then this song will take little time to worm its way into your ears.
The album name in this case was chosen wisely as there is a party atmosphere throughout. It’s easy to see how songs like ‘Evil’s Sway’, ‘Adrenaline Nightshift’ and ‘The House That Heaven Built’ could fill the dance floor at a club with a bunch of sweaty, hedonistic youngsters.
It’s strange to think that Japandroids were going to call it quits just a few years ago. Their credentials on Celebration Rock are indisputable, and they excel at penning tunes that would slot nicely into anyone’s evening. If you’re out on an all night bender, they can easily provide the soundtrack with a full slate of light speed-paced anthems that will have everyone’s ears ringing.
If there’s anything for Japandroids to celebrate, it’s the simple fact that they’re still around in an age when bands are run through the indie gamut at an alarming rate. Celebration Rock will go a long way to ensuring that they stick around because they’re certainly not out of ideas and there is plenty of rocking yet to be done.
Grade: A
The raucous mix of garage, punk and noise that Japandroids serve up is a lot more accessible than the harsh building blocks they employ might signify. There’s something uber-catchy about this stuff. Each track is full of relentlessly powerful guitar riffs, hard-hitting drums and hook-laden vocals. Second track ‘Fire’s Highway’ exemplifies the band’s aesthetic perfectly, and if Post-Nothing was your thing then this song will take little time to worm its way into your ears.
The album name in this case was chosen wisely as there is a party atmosphere throughout. It’s easy to see how songs like ‘Evil’s Sway’, ‘Adrenaline Nightshift’ and ‘The House That Heaven Built’ could fill the dance floor at a club with a bunch of sweaty, hedonistic youngsters.
It’s strange to think that Japandroids were going to call it quits just a few years ago. Their credentials on Celebration Rock are indisputable, and they excel at penning tunes that would slot nicely into anyone’s evening. If you’re out on an all night bender, they can easily provide the soundtrack with a full slate of light speed-paced anthems that will have everyone’s ears ringing.
If there’s anything for Japandroids to celebrate, it’s the simple fact that they’re still around in an age when bands are run through the indie gamut at an alarming rate. Celebration Rock will go a long way to ensuring that they stick around because they’re certainly not out of ideas and there is plenty of rocking yet to be done.
Grade: A
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