When it comes to making a final album there are umpteen approaches you could take. But, really, it boils down to this: are you going to double down on what has endeared you to fans on previous releases, or are you going to take one last chance with something new? Japandroids very much go for the former on ‘Fate & Alcohol’, but in a way that manages to avoid feeling old hat.
Guitarist-vocalist Brian King’s songwriting continues to paint vivid scenes of darkly lit gigs and those chasing debauched afters, but now his words benefit from hindsight viewed through an unclouded lens, this month marking his first year of sobriety. His sharpened storytelling draws you in and is conveyed with such urgency you’re instantly in the room, or on the doorstep seizing the moment with him on the anthemic Positively 34th Street.
Songs such as Fugitive Summer deliver the frenetic rock energy that has become such a staple of their approach, with the whole record capturing their live presence. Distorted, sometimes jangly, chords meet earworm riffs and drums that shuffle then roll like thunder. Vocally, too, King and his bandmate David Prowse leave nothing in the tank.
But, despite ticking all the boxes for a solid rock record, the duo also make subtle moves to break out of their self-made mould. For starters, ‘Fate & Alcohol’ delivers 10 songs where all their previous LPs were capped at eight, while King admitted in a recent feature with Stereogum that Upon Sober Reflection represents the first time he has written from another person’s perspective.
Still, the song also makes use of tempo shifts that are one of their most well-worn, reliable moves, while elsewhere there are tracks with build-ups and drops a DJ would be envious of. Taken together, then, any changes amount to small stakes. Despite giving the advice “cheer up baby, piss on the past” on Alice, where Knight also declares himself an “expert in drinkable art”, the duo cherry-pick elements of their own to great effect.
‘Fate & Alcohol’ arrives six years after the final Japandroids gig, at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, and just like their live shows, it may not be perfect, but the best rock ‘n’ roll never is.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
