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Japandroids Try Very Hard Not to Break Shit, Remain in Love with People on “No Known Drink or Drug”

It’s the second single from 'Near to the Wild Heart of Life,' out January 27.

What's happens when you unleash an excited, oversized puppy in a church? How about a drunk man near a very small piano? Does monster truck driver Dennis Anderson feel fine about just driving around the streets of Tampa in a mid-range pickup, obeying the speed limit? I bet he still drives like a badass. What would happen if you actually walked a bull through a China shop? Apparently they tried it in New York in 1940 as a PR stunt; the bull didn't break anything. Do you think the aisles were extraordinarily wide? Or did the bull just feel at home in Manhattan?

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None of these questions are answered by the new Japandroids track, "No Known Drink or Drug," the second single from their new album Near to the Wild Heart of Life, out January 27. But unlike the album's title track, "No Known Drink or Drug" does hold itself back, constantly threatening to clash into grinning hedonism, but flashing a sweet smile instead. Brian King channels his inner country singer, pitching his voice down an octave or two (or three) and refusing to respond to David Prowse's fizzing drums. Or at least trying to refuse to respond. He's trying to propose to his girlfriend while his friend shouts at him from behind and throws balled-up paper at his head.

In both its slow build and its shameless romance, it's closer to "Continuous Thunder" than, say, "Younger Us." It demands that you make out with everyone, drink liquor, and accept early death all at once, so it's definitely a good Japandroids song. Holy shit, this album is out on January 27.

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