Mixing up traditional sounds of Dylan,Springsteen and Petty with
contem****ary soundscapes, War on Drugs ( Hate the name) have made a
contender for top new offerings of 2008. A great album that invites
you back time and again.....
http://www.secretlycanadian.com/onesheet.php?cat=SC167
http://www.thewarondrugs.net/
There’s something so wonderfully familiar to The War On Drugs’ music
that it almost fails to register on first impression. A five-piece
from Philadelphia who originally bonded over a shared love of Dylan,
their debut LP, Wagonwheel Blues, does what so few bands seem capable
of accompli****ng by expressing a love of classic rock without ever
once falling into the trap of boorish traditionalism.
They do it by fusing the traditional Americana of Springsteen and
Dylan with the experimental drones and tics favoured by the Sonic
Youths and My Bloody Valentines of the world. These may seem like
strange bedfellows to some, but if an Animal Collective weaned on a
steady diet of The Boss and The Band sounds appealing, then
congratulations, because you just may have stumbled across your new
favourite band.
Cynics will argue that The War on Drugs are just another case of
career-minded east coast boys adding a bit of exotic window dressing
to otherwise bog-standard 21st Century indie. But delve into the
Eno-like ambience of ‘Reverse the Charges’ or the Tom Petty meets J
Spaceman fuzz of ‘A Needle In Your Eye #16’ and you’ll find a barrage
of influences successfully feeding into each other as they form a
unique core that pumps confidently away at the heart of this record.
So while the harmonica-filled jangle of opener ‘Arms Like Boulders’
should rightfully be placed next to Wilco on the shelf, the extended
guitar workout on the ten-minute ‘Show Me The Coast’ sits more
comfortably alongside the recent work of Bradford Cox and company. Put
all nine songs together in a line and they create an album full of
gentle surprises that never jar; instead they slowly reveal their
charms in a manner that never feels forced or rushed.
Which brings us back to the first point: The War On Drugs may appear
to dwell in a familiar place on initial impression, but give
Wagonwheel Blues time to grow and you’ll discover a band carving out a
special niche of their very own.
- by Charles Ubagh-
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