Japandroids: Celebration Rock Review

Adorbs.

Album: Celebration Rock
Artist: Japandroids
Genre: Noise-rock


8.6/10






 Celebration Rock begins and ends the exact same way, with the sound of distant fireworks exploding.  It’s a surprisingly vivid and powerful mantra that encapsulates the entire mood of album.  It’s an album that celebrates where Japandroids have been, where they are, and where they are going.  Recorded completely live and with minimal mixing/dubbing, Celebration Rock stands out as a record that follows a simple formula, mix fuzzy guitars with emotionally charged vocals and punk-injected drum work.  Grandiose from start to finish Celebration Rock brings something uniquely them and executes impressive songwriting chops.

    The record opens up with the party-anthemic “The Nights of Wine and Roses”.  The two members of Japandroids confidently lead a night of drinking and pot-indulgence, but make the act seem so much nobler than it is.  They sing about how they will drink their cares away until they finally grow up, but they will enjoy their nights of wine and roses until they just can’t anymore.  “Fire’s Highway” introduces a recurring theme, Hell.  The idea of burning and writhing and searching for a way out of hell comes back in multiple songs, with each ending triumphantly, matching the tone of the song.  “Hearts from hell collide/On fire’s highway tonight/We dreamed it, now we know.  “Fire’s Highway” also employs some more noisy elements, with Brian King doing something ungodly with his guitar strings.  “Evil’s Sway” is a song about comparing passion with evil.  It’s more fast paced, allowing David Prowse to show off some drumming chops as Brian sings about seeing “sexual red”.  The punk-influence is shown off more on “For the love of Ivy”, and actually recalls a blues song in the style of drumming and singing employed.  The guitar busts out a simple chord riff before dropping out and allowing Brian to sing, a technique reminiscent of a classic blues-rock song.  On ‘Continuous Thunder” we have the most melodic sounds, making it a standout track.  This song edges closer to pop than any song on the LP.  The drums bang out a marching style snare drum beat, as King swoons and recalls sounds of singing droning like continuous thunder.  Japandroids have earned their spot as one of the frontrunners in the noise-punk scene.  Their songs are simple but not juvenile.  Rooted in bare-bones rock and roll, Japandroid songs sound anthemic without sounding rehashed.  It’s a fresh take on an old style of songwriting, putting chords together with simple arrangements and strong vocals to convey a message clearly.  Beautiful noises clutter and clash and fight in each of these songs but they always resolve at one point or another.

     The lyrics make this record as well.  This entire album is a recollection of Japandroids earlier work, but there’s definitely a sense of maturity here.  The lyrics on Adrenaline Nightshift are simply poetic with lines like: “Whoring my heart/On the wings of a western night/Busting my guts/On a riot dose of paradise” or: “Hitchhiked to hell and back/Riding the wind/Waiting for a generation’s bonfire to begin/When the plunder of the poets/thunder of a punk’s guitar/Beat life to my body/Sulking drunk at the back of a bar”.  The single “The House That Heaven Built” employs an easy to sing along to, easy to be inspired by chorus: “When they love you, and they will/Tell em all the love in my shadow/And if they try to slow you down/Tell em all to go to hell”.  Such simple words can and are filled with emotion and meaning, especially with the shouted delivery of Brain King.

    This record is an impressive take on the Japandroid sound, with some strong lyrics.  I thoroughly enjoyed this record.  I thought that while it employed simplicity, it did not bore or suggest that these two musicians do not have talent.  A strong sophomore effort, 8.6 celebrations rocked out of 10.

FAVE TRACKS: The Nights of Wine and Roses, Fire's Highway, The House that Heaven Built, Continuous Thunder