Japandroids - Fate & Alcohol (October 18, 2024) Album • Page 7

My criticism of this album is that it feels one-note even by their standards. They’ve never been the most dynamic band, to put it mildly, but I felt like their other albums found more dimensions to their sound than this one does. Still enjoying it, but I definitely feel the shift from 8 songs to 10.

 

I agree and also think, funnily enough, that if you cut Alice and the Dave song it’s a much stronger record

 

yep! I don't have a problem with the one-note-ness, I want to live inside the guitar strumming of "Upon Sober Reflection" and "Positively 34th Street".

 

The worst part is that the riffing on the Dave song is some of my favorite on the whole record. That could have been the optimal spot for a wordless chorus that just rode that melodic wave up and down like “Fires Highway.”

“WAHH-AHH-OHHH-OHHH, WHOA-OHHH OHHHH WAYY OHHHH!”

 

“Chicago” works really well as the third track instead of “Alice”. I also think the side one closer should probably be the side two closer.

 

No chance! "All Bets Are Off" is the perfect way for this to end. Way, way more climactic heft than "Sober Reflection," IMO.

 

See I’d make it the opener, especially given the finality of it being the last album.

 

Really liking "Fugitive Summer"

 

Yeah I just can't get into the vocals on this album. What is he doing?

 

I see your point, a lot of the songs sound very samey. At the same time, that's why I like this so much, it flows so well. Only sort-of skip is the Dave song, the vocals just aren't doing it for me.

 

maybe it’s bc I totally forgot about this band and album release so the sameness doesn’t bother me but I think this is awesome!

 

I'm really not into the vocals on here either lol. I doubt it's a deliberate choice though I think his voice is just shot

 

Vocals are also more prominent in the mix than their past records too right

 

Huh, well that's interesting at least! I don't think there's another good closer on this album, at least not in the "end of career" slot, so I'd probably keep it as it is, but then I'm just a sucker for perfect sign-off songs and I think that is one. I had a playlist going a few years ago called "Famous Last Words" that included all my favorite "last song on last album" tracks. Ironically, at least half a dozen artists featured on that playlist have come back and made more music in the past two years!

I don't mind it while I'm listening, but I've played through this 7-8 times and I'd say only four of the songs are sticking in my brain. I wish there was a little bit more to differentiate them, whether melodically, structurally, production-wise, etc. Otherwise, I start thinking "I like this album, but if I want to hear a bunch of wheelhouse Japandroids songs, why not just listen to Celebration Rock?"

 

I think what we're all saying is this album needs an Arc of Bar smack dab in the middle

 

feel like “all bets are off” is straight from a jimmy eat world album…title included

 

I like that comparison!

 

I like all bets are off as the closer. personally i feel that a lot of final album closers tend to sag under the weight of their own self awareness and I'm glad they didn't really do that here.

 

Baby (babyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy)
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