| | Full Review | Ratings (169) |
Give your Rating |
| 2.5 average | Athom EMERITUS | January 19th 17 |
Near To The Wild Heart Of Life is the sound going from being a cool kid hanging out in the sketchy part of downtown to being 35 and wanting the new condo built right over where the DIY spot used to be because it's close to the Whole Foods.
13 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.0 good | aiioli | May 6th 17 |
If Post Nothing perfectly captured the rough, unbridled excitement of the last 2 years of high school and Celebration Rock was a soundtrack to the non-stop, all-night partying of college/university, NTTWHOL unfortunately captures the next step: the awkward transition into mid-to-late 20s. In attempting to mature and expand their sound while still desperately clinging to what made them fun 5 years ago, Japandroids once again all-too-perfectly mirror their fanbase. The songs themselves are not bad (Midnight to Morning and No Know Drink or Drug are highlights) but feel slightly held back and lacking in energy - almost as if they had to get up early for work in the morning..
2 Bumps | Bump |
| 2.8 good | Erwann S. EMERITUS | July 31st 19 |
So restrained that it's a shame. Will rejam Celebration Rock only to feel young again, this one made me realize I have to wake up every morning to earn money; money that I will spend on useless shit that sucks out the small amount of energy I have left. There still are some good aspects about it, but the mindlessness is long gone.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 2.5 average | nickwardmusic | July 31st 17 |
Much of the energy that made Japandroids interesting in the first place has seemingly disappeared. "No Known Drink or Drug" or "In The Body Like a Grave" give a glimpse of what once was.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.0 good | TheManMachine | February 18th 17 |
Particularly when compared to the sweat-drenched fireworks-clad singalong wingding epic that was its predecessor, this comes off a bit stale and softened and sappy -- still blaring for a guitar-drum two-piece with melodic fuzz and choruses certainly worth celebrating, still skilled at stirring up emotion and woahs+yeahs, but easing up musically tends to let the vocal rhapsodizing engulf. Then you get female barkeeps servin' up smooches and a "give em hell" upon his embarkment to somewhere far away, passionate and poetic-bout-life whiskey words cheesy-n-earnest enough to make you gag, the self-proclaimed status as a holy roller when the "cool hard beauty" starts crashing at his place. A couple too short, a couple too long; most infamous of the latter has gotta be the anomalous "Arc of Bar". Surprisingly pretty winning with its buzz-synth crush and a slowdown strut that somehow successfully sells the vision of jokers dealing cards and rooms galore full-a whores in a diamond dust fantasy land. Ah, but then there's doin' the devil (quite the) favor for her love and "those damned mosquitoes".
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 2.5 average | boredcore | January 20th 17 |
If you love Japandroids or you hate Japandroids, nothing on here is going to change your mind.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | tilly90 | February 20th 19 |
This album grew on me. I was disappointed at first like many others (would have been a 2 or 2.5 at
first)...but I don't know, it just wormed it's way into my subconscious. It's no post-nothing or
celebration rock but it has it's own time for me to listen to it. Usually when I am contemplative
and reminiscing about my life, as I am in the stage that this album is meant for, someone who's
losing their young adult youth and stepping into the mature world of careers and responsibilities.
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | notkanyewest | February 1st 17 |
Of all the Japandroids albums, this one might be the Japandroids-iest. That doesn't mean this is a
Celebration Rock rehash, in fact, the differences in sound on this one puts the band in a somewhat
unfortunate position. People who don't approve of the band's MO aren't going to find much to like
here, and some diehards are going to be irked by the cleaner production and the lack of the
more high energy anthems of the last two records. But those who dig in for a couple listens might be
pleasantly surprised by a song like "True Love and a Free Life of Free Will", which stays true to the
band's themes, but presents them in a more grown-up way.
Bump |
| 3.0 good | JWT155 | January 23rd 17 |
Can using children singing in unison please stop being a thing...
Bump |
| 2.0 poor | MrCoffee | January 20th 17 |
Seriously, what is going on with those third-rate Springsteen lyrics, fellas? Damn.
Bump |
| 1.5 very poor | Runeii | April 1st 21 |
| 3.0 good | Prole | January 2nd 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | lobstah | December 8th 19 |
| 2.5 average | PaabL | December 11th 18 |
| 2.0 poor | Juanpa | September 8th 18 |
| 2.5 average | timbo8 | April 22nd 18 |
| 3.5 great | ArtBox | March 11th 18 |
| 2.5 average | Essence | January 8th 18 |
| 3.5 great | doqtor | November 12th 17 |
| 2.5 average | Pleb | March 17th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | cb123 | February 13th 17 |
| 3.5 great | nch223 | February 10th 17 |
| 3.5 great | Keira | February 10th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | TVparty | February 8th 17 |
| 3.0 good | jmh886 | February 2nd 17 |
| 2.5 average | helti | February 2nd 17 |
| 2.0 poor | fdrc | February 2nd 17 |
| 2.5 average | Irving EMERITUS | February 1st 17 |
| 3.5 great | Sunnyvale EMERITUS | January 31st 17 |
| 2.0 poor | Trebor. EMERITUS | January 31st 17 |
| 2.5 average | mallen- | January 31st 17 |
| 3.5 great | tom79 | January 30th 17 |
| 3.5 great | Crawl | January 29th 17 |
| 2.5 average | mikep87 | January 27th 17 |
| 3.5 great | robin | January 27th 17 |
| 2.3 average | Rudy K. EMERITUS | January 26th 17 |
| 2.5 average | tancrni | January 22nd 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | ti0n | January 21st 17 |
| 3.0 good | Tom R. EMERITUS | January 20th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | Surette | January 19th 17 |
| 3.5 great | Yotimi | January 19th 17 |
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