Japandroids' debut album Post-Nothing was one of last year's best debuts, unmistakable in its vision: just two guys kicking up fuzzy garage-pop songs on guitar and drums. It's easy to see why so many critics touted it in their top 10 lists; Post-Nothing was pretty much perfect for what it was.
Japandroids seemed so comfortable in their skin on that album that it's a bit of a surprise that they've suddenly shed it on their latest track, "Art Czars," the first A-side of five 7-inch singles the group plans to release this year (the single ships in April; the song itself leaked to the mp3 blogs last week). "Art Czars" is fiercer and fuller than any of Post-Nothing's lo-fi musings, with roaring, arena-rumbling guitar tones that could have been harvested by Rush. It's an unlikely new direction for the bandor an unlikely one-off tangent; it's too soon to tellbut either way, it's fantastic, perhaps their best song yet.
