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3. A Deeper Understanding - The War on Drugs (2017)

Rock

After the monstrous breakout success of Lost in the Dream in 2014, one could be forgiven for doubting that The War on Drugs would ever even come close to replicating that sort of brilliance on a follow-up. And yet, just three years later, that’s exactly what they did. A Deeper Understanding is the result of a keen analysis of everything that made Lost in the Dream work so wonderfully, and, somehow, it’s an even better work of sheer genius.

It’s tough to know just what to call the music The War on Drugs makes. Rolling Stone called it “heartland rock”, which might come closest to capturing the ethereal familiarity of the sound. There’s a consistent sense of nostalgia in every song, like you’ve somehow always known them. The pulsing heartbeat of drums drives steadily through much of the album, conjuring fond memories of 80’s rock without ever actually emulating it. There are vibrant feelings of freedom, of flying down an open highway with no particular destination in mind, of staring at a desert sunrise with cool wind in your hair. Never has a better driving soundtrack been crafted.

Adam Granduciel’s no-frills approach to songwriting leaves no room for misinterpretation or conjecture. The songs are always to the point, yet packed with minimalist poetry that’s achingly heartfelt and evocative. They’re as candid as journal entries, with many incredibly honest admissions of pain and the ubiquitous uncertainty that comes with the territory of living. It might be more than a distillation of what it means to be American. It might be closer to a distillation of what it means to be Human. And if that sounds hyperbolic, then there’s a good chance you just haven’t heard it yet.

*image; cover art for the album A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs