With the surprise announcement of a new album, Fate & Alcohol, the Japandroids reinvigorated their fanbase. Then, they immediately deflated it by saying the group was over, and this would be the last musical statement from Brian King and David Prowse. Who knows if that holds true—forever is a long time—but if it does, the duo goes out with their heads held high.
For a band releasing only their fourth studio album in almost twenty years, Japandroids holds a special place in indie-rock fans’ hearts. Their fantastic second album Celebration Rock, does precisely what its title suggests. It was a breath of honest exhilaration, arriving at a time when most musicians were dancing to disaffected keyboard blips and synth buzzes. The Vancouver-based duo poured the primal humanity of a rock concert back into the fold, and the band soared with joy as fans screamed along, stage dove, and saw their lives reflected in King’s lyrics.
The duo followed it up five years later with Near To The Wild Heart Of Life, and while not a clunker, the album just didn’t vibrate like its predecessor as the group tried to expand their sound. Now, seven years on from that release, they offer up Fate & Alcohol, ten songs in thirty-six minutes that mostly succeed by wrestling with maturity and life’s big decisions but never reach the heights of their youth.
The familiar revved-up riffs and packed-in lyrics of a drunken missed hookup kick things off on the slamming “Eye Contact High.” The heart on the sleeve “D&T” continues the trend, and the almost countryish drum shuffle with layers upon layers of reverb dominates the sonic whirlwind of “Alice.” The opening three tunes check off what makes Japandroids’ songs work, and they are fine, but whether it is overproduction or overthinking, the songs never truly ignite.
However, things click on the next trio, starting with the massive “Chicago,” as big clean guitars, stomping drums, and a clear sense of shooting for something higher musically find the arena riffs ringing out. Both the anthemic swaying of “Upon Sober Reflection” and the hip-swinging, catchy as hell (with great backing vocals) “Fugitive Summer” are crushing as King and Prowse lock in and slam towards the heavens with confidence and power.
A change of pace finds Prowse singing lead on the pop-punk, heavy-hitting “A Gaslight Anthem,” while King’s tale of love and travels, “Positively 34th Street,” is the first Japandroids song that could work just as well in acoustic fashion, perhaps a hint at where he is headed next. “One Without the Other” is a touch jumbled and just misses the mark, yet the finale of “All Bets Are Off” is a dramatic slow build with layers of squiggling guitars, distortion, and odd sounds before a huge banging climax.
When Japandroids quietly canceled their 2022 mini tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their masterpiece Celebration Rock, it was thought to be the end of the partnership between Prowse and King. However, the surprise announcement and release of Fate & Alcohol is a fitting send-off for the band. The album is a valiant attempt to mix their modern, mature life with the raw emotion of their blazing youth.
