Japandroids kicked off 2017 by releasing one of the best rock albums of the year. The Celebration Rock follow up, Near To The Wild Heart Of Life is a complete feat — a “minor miracle” as our own Steven Hyden wrote — and reveals they were just as missed as other absent artists like Frank Ocean. After appearing on the podcast Hyden named after them, and also speaking with him at one of their recent shows, the band have been busier than ever, this time releasing a B-side to “North South East West” called “Fire In The Western World,” a cover of a song by the Portland punk band Dead Moon.
Depending on how you want to read it, this song could definitely come across as an overtly political declaration. Then again, it could also just be a song about defiance being crushed to death in the ashes and ruins of the western world that absolutely has nothing to do with a disturbing rise of white power movements and fascism within the United States. Whatever you want to read into it, one thing is for sure: It f*cking rocks. After listening to their joyous new album though, that shouldn’t come as any surprise. Stream the new track below and look for Japandroids on tour now.
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