The War on Drugs – ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’ (2021)
The new album by War On Drugs, ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’ is very much in and of the times we find ourselves living, yet is resoundingly so much more expansive than one could imagine; an album that will not only stand the test of time, but reshape the very texture of intimate moments we are living through.
In the same breath, this is not a return to ‘Lost In The Dream’, and is far beyond ‘A Deeper Understanding’ in it’s accessibility. Yet it is in many aspects still filled with breeze laden guitars, still recognizably blazing, all balanced by melancholic piano chords, along with the drums of Charlie Hall that have risen beyond heartbeat level, stomping their way into your very being, where the rest of the band steps in acting like wings to enhance and carry the vocals of Adam Granduciel high above the tremors of this planet, where when looking down, it all appears so delightfully pleasant.
Considering that the record was recorded and fine-tuned in over seven studios from around the world (including ‘Electric Lady’ of Jimi Hendrix fame), it’s no surprise that the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. Adam has a deep understanding of classic rock, where all of his recordings come off as if they’d been sitting on some forgotten shelf for the last fifty years, though it’s only when he tosses out lines such as, “I know it ain’t like I remember/ I guess my memory runs wild/ Like when we went to see Bob Dylan/ We danced to ‘Desolation Row,” that he revels that he too is a product of classic rock; of Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.
Always remember, War On Drugs put on record what other bands only dream of doing live. The chemistry of these players is something that only comes down the road once in a lifetime.
*** The vinyl package is presented as double discs pressed to translucent swirled red, translucent blue and black wax.
Jenell Kesler
The War on Drugs – ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’ (Atlantic 2021)
