Japandroids have released their new song, “All Bets Are Off,” the latest single and closing track from the indie rock duo’s upcoming fourth and final album, Fate & Alcohol.
The narrative-driven track describes a spark of romance from across a bar as vocalist/guitarist Brian King sings: “Didn’t even notice all our friends take off/ Busy talking like no time had passed at all/ Situation caused us both to blush/ Glued together, and yet somehow, never touch.”
In a statement, King said the song was inspired by an evening out with his crew. “I was gathering material for a book on bar life and it was the perfect place to watch the hungry hearts of Saturday twist towards the blue emptiness of Sunday morning,” he said. “Seeing her immediately stripped me of my powers. A thousand thoughts, frozen and kept in cold storage, thawed all at once.”
He continued, “She was not the same woman I had known, exuding a subtle elegance and sensuality I had never seen before; she looked breathtaking. Every exquisite nuance like salt on old love-cuts. Chicly dressed too, which added to my agony. The imbalance between us was obvious, making me self-conscious. Still, I decided to let it play out. Cue the music.”
“All Bets Are Off” follows the previous singles “D&T” and “Chicago.” Fate & Alcohol is out on October 18th via ANTI- Records. Pre-orders are ongoing.
Check out our retrospective on Japandroids’ 2012 LP Celebration Rock, one of the best albums of the 2010s.