Japandroids - Near To The Wild Heart Of Life (Jan 27, 2017) Album • Page 22

pitchfork always uses site mandated scores

 

ugh god the ringer piece

 

You're not wrong.

Listened to the album this morning, enjoyed it and I think it'll stick with me for the next few months. Of course it's not Celebration Rock , but Craig hit the nail on the head in his review.

 

I'll admit I'm a newbie in regards to these guys but I'm really enjoying the new record, already on the 3rd spin. Sounds like I'll have to give Celebration Rock a listen as well

 

You won't regret it.

 

I read the first half of the Hyden piece when he posted it, but stopped at the track by track part because I didn't want his idea of the narrative influencing my review too much. Then I went back and finished his review the morning after I turned mine in and found that we'd written very similar things anyway. I would have gone back and revised/rewritten if I'd had time, but I didn't, unfortunately.

 

A 7.5 or less for a band like this is pretty much saying "we'd give you a 5 if you were someone else"

 

I just got into these guys over the last two days and I mean they aren't bad but I don't quite get the hype. I think I like the newest one the most but will have to give all of their records more spins before I decide for sure.

 

You're so lucky you get to listen to Celebration Rock with fresh ears. You're in for a great time.

 

I already listened to this three times today. Reading Craig's review and the Uproxx article are making me go in for fourths.

I love this album.

 

This record is such a good time. I love Arc of Bar, confused by some of the hate I'm seeing.

I picked up Celebration Rock on vinyl last night (along with the new Cloud Nothings and the last one) and wish I would have grabbed this too. Couldn't justify buying more than 3 records though haha

 

It's basically Pitchfork saying "well, we don't want to look like idiots in the future in case everyone else really loves this album."

 

got my vinyl in the mail today. love the poster and liner notes.

 

I'm worried that the dumb bad reviews on this will discourage them, since they've previously said they don't like making albums.

 

we're lucky we got this imo

 

they make new albums to play live, as long as they want to play live we'll get new music
i think this is it either way

 

Some of the more lukewarm reviews to this are classic "but it's doesn't give me the exact same feeling as their previous record, so it's not as good." Celebration Rock came out 5 years ago. You've had up to 5 years to live with those songs. This record has been out there for a week. Of course your feelings towards it aren't gonna be as strong, that would be impossible. Celebration Rock is a scrappy little rock album that became more than it was because it connected with people at the right time. This record is, imo, a great step forward for Japandroids and for me, really solidifies them as a band that we'll be hearing from for a long time. I love the cleaner production because it's not Celebration Rock. I love that it sounds like a big slick stadium rock record. They deserve to be that band. If they just kept churning out CR it would be disappointing, not just for us but for them. They have way more potential than that and I really feel like this new album solidifies that. I feel as strongly about this one on my first listen as I did about CR all those years ago. Given enough time maybe I'll hold it even higher. I can't wait to keep spinning it.

 

Why does there seem to be so much concern over people not liking it and trying to dismiss why they don't like it/speculate on their authenticity? Why not spend that energy talking about what you like about it?

This seems to be an ongoing trend here lately.

 

For what it's worth, I think this is a clear step down from CR. I quite like it, and hope it grows on me plenty, but I can understand why people aren't professing their love for this. The politics involved in trying to earn cool points for panning are dumb, but it's not as if this record is above fair and valid criticism.

Basically I'm seeing a harsh and possibly pre meditated critical response, along with really strong backlash to that, coupled with equally strong support of the record.

I guess I just find myself in the middle of two extremes in regards to this record.

 

Celebration Rock : NttWotH :: xx s/t : Coexist

 

that's a weird analogy

 

not even close!

 

I can dig it. Both are an extension of the previous album's sound with more varying returns.

 

I saw someone liken Celebration Rock/NTTWHOL to Born to Run/Darkness on the Edge of Town, so naturally I like that more.

 

To me this is similar to the releases of On The Impossible Past and Rented World