New Rock: Japandroids, “The House That Heaven Built”

I like everything about this song, the frenetic drumming, the twinned rhythm guitars, the barked vocals, the propulsive force of the tune. And not unimportantly, something of a melody (though it might be better described as a hook).

But when I listen to it the second time the surface pleasures start to seem less like a real story and more like a soundtrack to a TV show on the CW. That may not be fair to them, or maybe it is the key trap that any band has to navigate.

These guys could play music I liked, they sound lots like Everclear come to think of it, but this isn’t Everclear. This could be (should be) playing in the dressing room at Hollister. If they wanted my vote they would be bolder, but they don’t give a fuck about me. Or at least won’t until no one else gives a fuck about them.

One thought on “New Rock: Japandroids, “The House That Heaven Built”

  1. I don’t like this, couldn’t get through it. Seems really contrived. Like a band and a video that’s trying really, really hard to be punk. Fifth-generation punk.

Leave a Reply to Steve MoyerCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.