Japandroids: “The House That Heaven Built”

For a generation that is fond of screaming “you only live once!” whenever on the brink of doing something rash (or indulgent or stupid or whatever), Japandroids and their new album Celebration Rock is right up our alley. Pulsing with energy and shamelessly loud, the eight tracks of the album stay true to the fun-loving demeanor the Vancouver-based duo has made their own since their major debut in 2009.

This album is undoubtedly drama-free; Brian King and David Prowse have seen to it that their music is a soundtrack for fun and the “living in the now” ideal so popular among younger demographics. What’s more impressive is that they manage to produce the sound of a full five-piece band with the collaboration of only two — they share vocals with one guitar and one drum set. This kind of pairing down is often something more indicative of a high school garage band short on musicians, but these guys aren’t short of anything here. According to the group, they didn’t feel like they needed the ego of a lead singer. This instinct was right on — the music’s headstrong yet quirky personality stands on its own.

Personally, I can’t help but want to hang out with these guys. You can tell when band members genuinely enjoy playing together, and the pairing in Japandroids is a completely electric dynamic. Better yet, their album is just in time for summer, which is the exact context for what Japandroids has to offer. Presenting itself as a kind of war cry for kids ready to party, it is pretty much impossible to stay still when “The House That Heaven Built” comes on. And I’m definitely OK with that.