Listen: Nightlands - "So Far So Long"

I'm going to be completely honest with you: When I was first introduced to Nightlands, the solo project from War on Drugs/former Sondre Lerche band member Dave Hartley when he opened for Sondre Lerche last year, I wasn't feeling it. The band used vocal effects that made them sound more robotic than one had any right to, especially after Kishi Bashi and before Sondre Lerche who charm with endearingly raw vocals. I was disappointed as until that point I had never been let down by Sondre Lerche approved band before. And yet for some reason I still bought a copy of Nightlands debut Forget the Mantra that night. I haven't listened to it yet but when news of a sophomore record came yesterday, I remembered it.

Had I made a mistake? Had I judged too harshly? Apparently. Because while I've still yet to listen to Forget the Mantra, "So Far So Long", the first single off Nightlands upcoming sophomore record Oak Island is a blissed out, sleepy ramble that's rather satisfactory. If Dave Hartley can create something so simple yet so pleasantly enjoyable, he obviously earned that SL seal of approval. In 4 minutes and 19 seconds, my opinion on Hartley changed completely. Who knows, maybe the Nightlands live set just wasn't my thing? All I know is that with "So Far So Long", Hartley earned himself second chance. And rightly so.

Check out "So Far So Long", the first single from Nightlands upcoming sophomore album Oak Island out January 22nd on Secretly Canadian.

Pitstop: The War on Drugs

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.