The War On Drugs
The War On Drugs
Credit Dusdin Condren
It never ceases to amaze how just when you think rock ‘n’ roll has met its maker and died in the dustbin of passing music fads some album rises from the ashes to declare “long live rock!” Last year that album was Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs. The Philadelphia group could have easily burst onto the scene via 1970s FM radio AOR and given bands like Steely Dan and The Eagles a run for their money. Their DNA has a dash of Springsteen and Neil Young. Throw in some tame electronic effects and low profile horns, and you have the classy sound of The War On Drugs.
The group, led by singer/lead guitarist/songwriter Adam Granduciel, has been on tour since May of 2014. They have brought the live version of their highly-acclaimed third album to many parts of the globe. On June 16, the band finally arrives in South Florida at the illustrious Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater. The chandelier-adorned theater should provide the perfect backdrop for the band’s reserved but sometimes intensely meandering tunes.
But, honestly, who needs a fancy backdrop for this ornate music? The War On Drugs features spare but impactful use of horns and keyboards, but at its core it speaks to the boundless potential of the simple rock set up of guitar, bass and drums. Granduciel’s Dylan-esque slurring of vocals over calmly developing guitar solos speak to his influences but also to an innate understanding of what makes guitar-driven rock so great: music that is both bluesy yet rollicking. But The War On Drugs are also progressive. You might notice a sprinkle of hypnotic Krautrock droning in many of the songs’ driving rhythms.
There’s room from one example: “An Ocean in Between the Waves,” features a motorik syncopated beat drenched by carefully plucked notes against a humming organ that don’t create a melody as much as a sparkle over the beat. The beat never relents over the course of seven minutes as a subtle dynamism is created by instruments that seem to grow subtly restless with Granduciel’s increasingly intense vocals that turn unintelligible as he howls over a calmly soaring solo, yet still you feel everything’s gonna be all right.
The War On Drugs and The Everymen perform June 16 at 8pm at Fillmore Miami Beach. Tickets cost $27.50 plus fees via http://www.livenation.com. All ages. Call 305-673-7300 or visit www.fillmoremb.com.
~ Hans Morgenstern | The Independent Ethos | www.indieethos.wordpress.com
