Song of the Day 9/19: Japandroids, “The House That Heaven Built”

Back in 2012, Vancouver, B.C., duo Japandroids released a nearly perfect album, using just drums and guitar, full of punk-rock energy and classic-rock power chords. “Celebration Rock” sounds like a Clash song title, and “The House That Heaven Built” sounds a bit like a lost Joe Strummer/Mick Jones anthem from “London Calling.”

The album made lots of year-end best album lists, but the duo didn’t follow up on it until 2017, by which point they had exchanged the high-volume rawness of “Celebration Rock” for a more polished studio sound, a move that failed to land them a bigger audience while simultaneously tempering their critical reception. Its title track, “Near to the Wild Heart of Life,” is a good example of the new sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO6gDYHKNuQ