The War On Drugs - 'A Deeper Understanding' Album Review

The War On Drugs – ‘A Deeper Understanding’

US indie rock band The War On Drugs, frontman Adam Granduciel’s child, have always been one of the most consistently meticulous groups out there, with their average song lasting anywhere from 5-8 minutes they have always attempted to cram as much into their tracks as possible, often to great success. Their universally acclaimed previous album ‘Lost in the Dream’ helped propel his band from little known niche rockers to neo-psychedelic mega-stars and after tons of sold out shows across the globe they are back with their latest record ‘A Deeper Understanding’, hoping to continue off the success of their last album, the band have continued with their meticulous approach.

‘A Deeper Understanding’ is The War On Drugs first album attached to a major label (the band signed to Atlantic off the back of ‘Lost in the Dream’)and from first listen of this record, the influence of a major label is clear. Where some previous tracks may have had at max 7 or 8 instruments, some of the tracks from this record have 11 or 12, there’s a poppy twinkle to the synths and there’s genuinely intoxicating rhythms and choruses, a potential change up from their usual sombre approach perhaps? Who knows.

‘Holding On’, the 3^rd track from this record is filled with piano and acoustic, all moulded around the fuzzy electric guitar chords of band members Anthony LaMarca and Meg Duffy. The attention to detail on this record is just something to amaze yourself with; the additional harmonica here, the echoing harmony there etc just enables this album to thrust itself into some gloomy, awe-inspiring distant realm. ‘Strangest Thing’ perfectly sums up ‘A Deeper Understanding’, it’s a track that, on the face of it, appears relatively simple, yet when it is divulged and examined closely, you begin to realise the depth of touch that Granduciel is lucky to obtain. The delicious subliminal complexity is what makes this album so special. Some may argue that 6/7 minute tracks (Track number 7 ‘Thinking Of A Place’ is actually 11 minutes long but you know) are too long and that the embedded guitar solos simply serve as filler,however, once you are able to free your mind of this preconception you can begin to fully appreciate this record for what it is, a bold statement of love and loss that is wearing its heart on its sleeve. ‘Nothing to Find’ represents a rare moment of joy on this album, the synths remind the listener of some sort of cheesy Cyndi Lauper styled 80’s pop track and it is overall the most joyous sounding song from ‘A Deeper Understanding’. That’s not to say that this is a depressing album, far from it, the lyricism may have slight undertones of despair and gloominess, but the gentle nature of the tracks enables the sound of the song to set itself apart from the lyrics being presented.

On ‘A Deeper Understanding’ there are clear 80s Heartland rock influences. Springsteen, Adams, Dylan and Young are all subconsciously weaved into the spine of this record with the gentle touch of Granduciel providing his own unique twist on this once dominant genre. ‘A Deeper Understanding’ is reminiscent of that of a delightful broth, a intricate mix of a vast array of delicate ingredients that, when combined, culminate in something exquisite. Beneath the lush surface of the 10 tracks on this record lies a broken heart fixated on loneliness, alienation and those brief moments of solace, and these lyrical themes when combined with the band, the production and engineering of Granduciel and vocals result in a truly special project. I would thoroughly recommend any true music fan checking out this record, you will not be disappointed.

Overall Rating – 9/10

Fave Tracks – ‘Holding On’, ‘Pain’, ‘Knocked Down’, ‘Strangest Thing’, ‘In Chains’

Least Fave Tracks – ‘Thinking Of A Place’