Japandroids Young Hearts Spark Fire

This is far from a musical masterpiece. Simple song-writing, cheesy lines, and fuzzed out sound. It's essentially two guys cranking everything to eleven and rocking with reckless abandon. That's kind of the genius behind this album though. It's full of a pure cathartic angst coated in sweet pop innocence. This album is immediately catchy and infinitely fun, and it doesn't require any sort of in-depth analysis. Everything is right on the table when the singer yells, "We used to dream, now we worry about dying" in "Young Hearts Spark Fire."  And the honest vulnerability is matched by fun-loving optimism when he returns "I don't wanna worry about dying, I just wanna worry about sunshine girls.

The best part is that there isn't a single moment on the album that feels fake or forced. Even live, these guys play with genuine conviction and raw emotion. Though corny at times with lines like "we'll stay together forever, stay sick together, stay crazy forever," this album is full of pure, raw emotion and never takes itself too seriously.  The duo that is Japandroids are a refreshing reminder that sometimes, simplicity is a good thing.

"This is terminally catchy music played with punk's enthusiasm and velocity, and maybe it's the fact that there's only two dudes in this band that makes you feel like joining in to bash along. It's as fun as an ill-gotten sixpack and there really aren't too many bands doing stuff like this well anymore." - Pitchfork