Fate & Alcohol still has the woven, tightly bound connective tissue between King and Prowse. As the band's swan song, the duo hold true to themselves by making the faithful music they've set out to make as Japandroids.
Consisting of David Prowse on drums and Brian King on guitar and lead vocals, Japandroids are a strong, consistently solid Canadian duo who scratch that itch for those eagerly wanting anthemic, chanting garage rock that's destined for the beer-soaked floors of clubs across North America and beyond. They started out with their debut Post-Nothing and compilation No Singles and only continued to get bigger and better from there. Thanks to the golden era of blowing up through internet blogs like Pitchfork during the 2010's, Japandroids' second album Celebration Rock reached new heights, found a larger audience, and became one of the best rock albums of the decade. Their relentless consistency of anthemic garage rock with hooks as sharp as knives, guitars and pummeling drumming is the band's bread and butter. The band's sound is forever faithful to themselves. It's the band greatest strength, but it comes to a fault. I can't imagine Japandroids ever changing their style dramatically in any way and as a result, it can grow staler with each new attempt. I certainly appreciate their ode to the influences of classic rock, garage rock, and punk time and time again, but their third record Near to the Wild Heart of Life, as likeable as it is, proves that this style can only go so far before their edge starts to dull a bit.
Fate & Alcohol, Japandroids fourth and notably final album, is the band's swan song. As great of a studio band Japandroids can be, their best selves retain within a live setting in front of a rapturous crowd. Knowing that Fate & Alcohol is the band's final album is a gut punch, but knowing that the songs on Fate & Alcohol will not be toured and the two will probably never perform live as a band ever again is the real knockout blow (I can attest to this because I have seen how awesome they are live). This is partially due to Brian King's severe alcoholism, which he clasped onto whenever the band toured relentlessly over the years (thankfully King is sober and healthy now, deciding to focus more on his family). The two are in good terms but live separately across the continent. Despite the separation, Fate & Alcohol still has the woven, tightly bound connective tissue between King and Prowse. Their sound is still energetic, fun, and anthemic. Japandroids certainly don't sound like a band who haven't released an album in eight years.
If you're already familiar with Japandroids' music, then the music behind Fate & Alcohol shouldn't come as a big surprise. The band's core sound still remains faithful while the duo still do what they do best, even if it's been while since we've last heard from them. "Eye Contact High" is a solid opener that sets the tone for a boisterous return. "D&T," which stands for "drinking and thinking," is another signature topic the band continues to cover and has some great melodies. "Chicago" is a stunning ode to the great windy city that goes to show that King can still write a timelessly great anthem. "Alice" mixes it up a little bit and gratefully so. It's more of a bluesy and playful delivery from King and I enjoy the Alice In Wonderland inspired imagery with lines like "followed it all down the rabbit hole" and "I know a little about playing cards." "A Gaslight Anthem" (possibly a nod to the rock band of the same name) has differently toned vocals (they sound like they're coming from fellow Polyvinyl alum Fred Thomas, but can't confirm) and is a refreshingly rawer approach to the band's style. If there's any proper closing statement for the band, "All Bets Are Off" is an appropriate title. One of the song's endearing lines, "it turns out time don't change a thing" really rings true. When listening to Fate & Alcohol, the band sound as timeless as they've ever been. Just like every bead of sweat that's dried up in the hot, darkened basement that they first performed in, King and Prowse hold true to themselves by making the faithful music they've set out to make as Japandroids. As a final sendoff for the band, you wouldn't want it any other way.
My Rating: 7 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Chicago," "D&T," "Alice," "A Gaslight Anthem," "All Bets Are Off"
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