JAPANDROIDS: Celebration Rock
Polyvinyl, 35 minutes
Rating: 3.5/5

Several years ago our publication earned some minor controversy for a video session with Japandroids; some fans felt we had not properly captured the band’s sound. I mention this not to dig up the past, but to remark that their second album Celebration Rock is much closer to the music we thought they were trying to make. Streamlined, with an equal emphasis on songwriting and volume, it is a leap forward sonically and creatively. At no point does the band let feedback do all the heavy lifting.

It is in many ways the kind of album smart rock audiences crave but never seem to find; easily digestible (8 songs in 35 minutes) without seeming slight, simple (guitar ‘n’ drums) but not simplistic, and a celebration with more on its mind than beer and tits.

“The Nights of Wine and Roses” opens with the sound of fireworks, and the album stays at that height throughout, never pausing for a moment of calm introspection. This could lead to overfamiliarity (“Fire’s Highway” feels like the band ripping themselves off) but Japandroids know how to keep from overstaying their welcome. A half hour and change is the perfect run for this kind of riff-heavy, shouted-not-sung music, and a couple detours along the way help keep things fresh. “For the Love of Ivy” covers rockabilly-punk outfit The Gun Club to great effect, and the relatively subdued “Continuous Thunder” hints at the more mature music they may release in the future. For now Celebration Rock is the band’s heartfelt goodbye to carefree youth.

BIG K.R.I.T.: Live From the Underground
Island Def Jam, 58 minutes
Rating: 4/5

Drug use has played a role in many classic rap records, but it’s a sense of sobriety that helps Mississippi’s Big K.R.I.T stand out. I have no idea what substances he does or does not ingest, but his clear, direct flow and coherent wordplay don’t feel the least bit, how do you say, influenced. He doesn’t preach, but there’s a sense of focus in his music not often found outside of political or socially-conscious hip hop.

Live From the Underground is his official debut after years gathering mixtape hype. As in the past he takes the biggest chunk of credit for production, which creates a uniformity offset by a wide range of guests and themes. He can be overconfident (“Money On the Floor”), down-to-earth (“Live From the Underground”), or vulnerable (“Don’t Let Me Down”). He can roll with modern legends (Ludacris on “What U Mean”), rising pop singers (Toronto’s Melanie Fiona on “If I Fall”) and veterans outside his genre (B.B. King on the excellent “Praying Man”).

Tying it all together is that clarity, the feeling that “not giving a fuck” is a rap affection K.R.I.T. has no interest in. Plenty of guys have made careers out of that aloof style (A$AP Rocky has perfected it for this generation) but this Mississippi kid is coming up with clear eyes.

LIARS: WIXIW
Mute, 43 minutes
Rating: 3/5

Read five reviews on Liars and four of them will remark that each of their albums sounds different than the last. Six albums in and it’s clear that go-to thesis is a bit off. Each album certainly feels different, with textures ranging from repetitive and organic (Drum’s Not Dead) to cerebral and heavily-processed (Sisterworld, this one). But elements of their sound are constant and instantly recognizable: Angus Andrew’s slurred vocals, evocative, menacing lyrics, the shifting wave of droning low notes and sudden peaks. Listening to Liars is a bit like trying to win a fistfight and solve a math problem at the same time, the intellectual and primitive parts of your brain engaged simultaneously. That will likely never change.

WIXIW (pronounced something like “wish-you”) is Liars’ “electronic” record. Ditching guitars (for the most part) is the most drastic change they’ve made yet, and the record is their most beautiful and subdued. It may not be their best but it’s the first that won’t tie your nerves into knots. However, such an overhaul come at the expense of songwriting; songs like “Octagon” and “WIXIW” take several listens to even register melodically, more effort than some might be willing to give. Even the catchiest tune “Flood to Flood” feels strangely elusive. The overall impression is that Liars took a lot of time to develop as synth-based musicians, less to craft the tunes. Fans will need patience and strict attention to enjoy them, but the reward is there, deeply embedded.