UTP EP Review: Hey, This Is Only Two Years Late

Back in 2010, Japandroids had just released their debut LP, Post-Nothing, and while on the road, had promised us a series of five singles, all accompanied by a b-side cover. They delivered their first three on time, and then, nothing. 2011 passed in full, and nothing. Earlier this year, rumors of a new album (Celebration Rock, out early next month) surfaced, and finally a new single appeared, "The House That Heaven Built".

Now, is this a part of the series? The little number 4 on the back of the sleeve and the clear vinyl would indicate yes. Unlike the previous three, "The House That Heaven" built will appear on Celebration Rock, whereas the others were non-album tracks.

In an interview with Pitchfork, Brian King talked about how they were recording, vocals, noting, "Dave and I were in the studio just screaming out as if we were in the audience at our own show". This is no clearer than in "The House That Heaven Built", multi-layered whoa-ohs piercing the ends of lines throughout the verses. The song carries the same upbeat sound that Post-Nothing started to show, along with the "Younger Us" single. 

As for the B-side, I'm not sure what to say. It's a cover of Nick Cave's "Jack The Ripper", and to be honest, I'm not familiar with Nick Cave's material at all. I looked up the original just for comparison, and this is one of those rare occasions that I like the cover more than the original. 

Pressing information: 2000 on clear vinyl, no CDs pressed. Available via Polyvinyl (at the time of writing, they are saying they have 5 copies left) and Interpunk.