By Ann Hoelscher
Coming from the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia for their second full-length album, Slave Ambient, indie trio The War on Drugs don't seem to being slowing down.
Recorded at vocalist Adam Granduciel's Fishtown residence, Jeff Zeigler's Uniform Recording and at Echo Mountain Studios in North Carolina, there is something immediately comfortable about Slave Ambient-the songs flow together in a way that feels effortless, with looping repetitions, samplers, and psychedelic electric solos driven by solid beats that keep Americana from sounding too worn-out.
On the opening track, "Best Night," Granduciel croons, "It's a dream to hold a knife/ and another dream to die" as the song mirrors the lyrical dream sequences and dwindles to glittery synth and reverberating guitars against the barely echoing drums fading into the next track, "Brothers," a significantly more jangly tune driven by Granduciel's vocals.
But upbeat or not, by now the listener is probably so hooked as one melody passes into another that the unassuming last track, "Blackwater," almost passes unnoticed, despite being one of the best of the album: "remember me when you dissolve in the rain," Granduciel entreats an unknown listener, "when the rivers run dry the through cool mountain range/ and you turn to the name you invented to keep to keep your identity safe."
The band dropped the organ and synth-driven first single "Baby Missiles," which originally premiered on their 2010 EP Future Weather, online in late June. Shortly thereafter, they released a second single, "Come to the City," a song whose steady beat serves as the anchor to the echoes of organ and guitar and which premiered to rave reviews on sites like Pitchfork, EverybodyTaste and HearYa.
And Slave Ambient's Aug. 16 release date seems perfectly timed. If you haven't yet given The War on Drugs a listen, you're almost two full-length albums behind, and it's time to catch up. Your summer music playlist-and the neighbors who have to listen to the music you play on your front stoop every night-will thank you.
Rating: Bad-ass
