Fate & Alchohol

Japandroids, like so many indie rock bands before them, are calling it quits with their fourth and final album. And yeah, it feels like the end of the road for them. You can sense that they're trying to hold onto that youthful energy, but their voices have aged, and it shows. Beyond that, the album doesn't really stand out. It's like they're stuck in a time warp, repeating a style that’s been done to death without bringing anything new to the table—just a lot of enthusiasm and energy to keep it from feeling totally flat. Lyrically, it's not the worst thing ever, but it’s not blowing anyone’s mind either. And for a final album? You’d think they’d go out with a bang or try something risky, but nope. It’s safe, maybe too safe.

Honestly, the production doesn’t help at all. Everything sounds like it’s blending into one big mess—muddy mixing that buries the vocals and makes the drums sound like they’re being played in another room. It’s noise rock, minus the rock, just a lot of noise. After a few tracks, it all starts to blur together and loses any bite it might’ve had. Kinda just... limp. Like, meh.

And let’s talk about the song title “A Gaslight Anthem.” Yikes. That title alone makes you want to roll your eyes. It’s like the whole album is one big shrug. Nothing here is offensively bad, but it’s all so painfully average. You can almost picture Japandroids playing this at the indie rock retirement home, reminiscing about their glory days while everyone else in the room politely begs them to stop.

JAPANDROIDS - FATE & ALCHOHOL

RATING - 5.3/10

FAVORITE TRACKS - N/A
GENRE - Alt, Indie, Rock