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The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding (Atlantic)
Released: August 25th, 2017
Contemporary americana heavyweight The War on Drugs are back with a new album, A Deeper Understanding. Frontman and multi-instrumentalist Adam Granduciel is the driving force behind this band. This Philadelphia based project has been at it for sometime now and this is their fourth studio album. It is also a follow up to their breakout record Lost in the Dream (2014). Granduciel exudes his strength of spacious synth work, beautiful guitar melodies and excellent song writing on all of his releases, but he takes it even deeper on his most recent release.His vocal melodies and cadence bring up nostalgia of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, while his sonics continue to push boundaries of modern alternative and indie-rock. The War on Drugs are peaking on this new record right here. From start to finish, Adam Granduciel delivers another outstanding piece of work.
The first three tracks, which happen to all be singles, are fantastic.
The drum machine pattern on "Up All Night" is very poppy and punchy. I love the little hi-hat pattern that hits only once each loop. It gives the song a different vibe than other tracks primarily because it's not just a straight forward drum pattern. It's just off-kilter enough to make the listener surprised but not uncomfortable with what they're hearing. He also gets creative with the placement of the kick drums, which really drive the percussion. The rhythmic piano keys that hit throughout are so simple but add a nice layer to the mix. The short but powerful guitar sections allow the song to breath and regroup before continuing on. "Up All Night" is full of energy and drive; This is a great song to lead off this album.
My favorite on the whole record "Pain" is a gorgeous track. From the endlessly groovy and catchy guitar melody, which includes a very impassioned guitar solo, all the way to the lyrics and simplistic percussion. The last minute and a half is a straightforward jam that includes these crunchy and spacious guitar filters that could easily fill a room. The songwriting is very simple but it makes for a solid alternative-rock tune.
"Holding On" is the lead single from this album. Lead by these sparkling and shiny synthesizers, "Holding On" is a legitimate contemporary americana track. From the rockin' guitar play to the driving drums, Granduciel makes another barn-burner with simple songwriting. It is a very straightforward song with nothing out of the ordinary, but Adam's vocal melodies as well as multiple guitar layers take the track to another level. Again, this song closes with another jam, just as great as the last.
This rest of this album is full of highlights, ranging from slower ballads to strong alt-rock tunes.
"Strangest Thing" reminds me a little bit of the song "Suffering" from their last record. A very laid-back start that contains piano, drums and acoustic guitar, eventually blooms into a wavy and spirited guitar solo/jam. The longer jam sections towards the end of songs is a constant theme throughout this record, but Granduciel finds a way to make them not boring or repetitive. He knows how to build up the track in such a way that an arena-esque jam in necessary.
The atmospheric vibes and sonic auras that cover A Deeper Understanding are unique to The War on Drugs. Obviously they are receiving inspiration from past americana-rock and psych-rock legends, but the find a way to make the sound their own. That sound is heard on "Nothing to Find" and "Thinking of a Place".
"Nothing to Find" is a faster paced song that includes slick guitar melodies as well as an anthemic style synth-solo that closes out the track. The bass line is driving, just like most songs from this record. His lyrics and vocal performance is so passionate and emotionally fueled.
The longest track on the record "Thinking of a Place" includes these slowly fluttering synth chords that seem very elegant and bright. Help from the percussion, acoustic guitar and bass carry this gorgeous rhythm section. This eleven minute song includes multiple guitar solos that fit the track so perfectly. A harmonica section makes its way through on the second half of the song which really makes this track multi-faceted. The guitar sonics and pickups throughout the track are buzzing, the synths are truly glistening, and the percussion is throughly steady. The War on Drugs created a gorgeous eleven minute track that never gets boring.
"In Chains" is another standout track. Again, solid and steady drum-play drive the track so well. The guitars sound very full and groovy. The chord progressions and vocal melodies are very catchy and neat. I also really enjoy the piano melody throughout the track, but mainly around the 4:13 mark. These bell piano keys play the melody only for a short time but it adds a great touch to the song.
The closing track "You Don't Have to Go" is a track that builds up and molds into itself. All the sounds eventually collapse in on one another until about the last thirty seconds. The ethereal synth work on this track is awesome. It really encapsulates all the sounds in the mix and closes out the record nicely.
After a four year wait, The War on Drugs delivered with their major label debut. Adam Granduciel's use of spacious synthesizers, affected guitars, vintage drum patterns, and passionate vocals all blend together to form a beautiful album.
I truly enjoyed this release and it was definitely worth the wait. As a War on Drugs fan this is awesome to see their sound stay consistent but their production value and overall sonics increase with each album they put out.
The War on Drugs not only created a near-perfect contemporary americana-rock record, but they definitely placed themselves as a contender for album of the year. Listen below...
Listen: The War on Drugs - Holding On & The War on Drugs - Up All Night
Genre: Alternative/Alt-Rock/Indie-Rock/Soft-Rock/Americana/Psych-Rock/Arena/Heartland
Rating: 9/10
Fav Songs: ALL
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