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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Pitstop: The War on Drugs

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December is the time of year for year-end track lists, artist lists, albums lists, and virtually anything you can think of to bring the year in music to a close. But if you're anything like me, you might've spent the year focused on the all the things you actually knew you liked or loved to check out absolutely everything. This time of year, I've written best of lists but I've also been reading them to figure out notable things I've no doubt missed. Philadelphia's The War on Drugs, the indie rock brainchild of Adam Granduciel, is most certainly one of those things.

On sophomore record Slave Ambient, The War on Drugs take splashes of The Cave Singers' catchy folk rock (harmonica included), combine them with Real Estate's easy listening jangle, and cement it all with a slight electronic fuzz the keeps it all interesting as Granduciel's adds in hearty folk drawl amid the driving drums and upbeat guitars.  There's lead ins and peaks and troughs and all the stuff necessary for a thoroughly engaging album experience. But album-ender "Black Water Falls" might very well be the album's best track. It rambles on, almost completely out of the electronic haze that fills much of the album's tracks and yet, doesn't jump the shark.

Get a taste of The War on Drugs with the video for their song "Baby Missiles":

The War on Drugs "Baby Missiles" from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

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