The lyrics of Vancouver garage-rock duo Japandroids match their instrumentals perfectly — both are relentless and raw. The band weaves stories with the most basic human emotions — songs about leaving, loss and the primal and sometimes childish reactions to these emotions.
“Heart Sweats” chronicles a breakup. Guitarist Brain King croons a series of insults about a former lover, but then quickly backtracks with his mantra “… and still my heart sweats.” The song is the perfect example of the no-frills approach that defines the band. It crescendoes with King yelling the chorus while crashing drums and vicious guitar match his emotional intensity.
Drummer David Prowse shares the vocal responsibilities with King and here again Japandroids find success. A perfect example is the song “Sovereignty,” which concludes with Prowse matching King’s intensity, delivering his lyrics through a fuzzy wall of sound.
These aforementioned songs are standouts, but that’s not to say the rest of their 36-minute debut album is worth skipping. Japandroids have managed to create a unique sound and their music is so compelling that it’s easy to forget they are just a two piece.