Review Summary: The Holocaust
I don't mind when a band finds a sound on their debut that is all their own, then tries to replicate the same magic on their second effort, instead of attempting to do something different just for the sake of it. But on
Celebration Rock, Japandroids long awaited follow up, they lose it. All the youthful exuberance and passion of their debut is still there, yet the end result feels forced. Perhaps it's the songwriting; compared to this,
Post-Nothing felt loose, unhinged even. Every note felt open to breathe and it seemed to match the rawness of the message Japandroids were speaking. Run around and french kiss some french girls?
Post-Nothing was free, in both lyric and sound - a road trip gone crazy, a summer unforgettable in the youthful haze of the sun. It's hard to ignore that
Celebration Rock sounds like nothing more than a rehash, which would be fine really if it seemed like the care-free attitude was still there. It's strange to me that I don't like this record; the fuzzy guitars are still present as ever, the energy is still cranked to 10. Yet
Celebration Rock feels like a man late to his own funeral; trying to relive his days of youth but forgetting about this little thing called
time.
Perhaps it's because I feel like they left it all on the table with their debut and as a result all this energy here feels caked on. There's only so many sing-along chants and lyrics about drinking that can be heard without the whole thing sounding like a last ditch effort to keep a party going after the cops get there. Japandroids are stuck, and at 23, I feel
Post-Nothing is nothing but an annoying reminder of days gone by. It's not a celebration so much as a refusal to let the past go. And to be frank there really hasn't been an indie album with this much
oomph in a while, perhaps since
Post-Nothing. But it hardly matters; Japandroids want to drink with me but all I can think of responding with is "Dude, chill out". I'm all for fun when the fun isn't being slammed down my throat. If the Nazis had fun the same way they did their political business, then
Celebration Rock is the Holocaust. If I want a drink, I'll call Patrick Stickles.
