With The War On Drugs, the list of references for each album moves further towards the safe middle. Debut
Wagonwheel Blues (2008) still moved somewhere between
Bob Dylan,
Neu! and
Sonic Youth, successor
Slave Ambient (2011) welcomed
Bruce Springsteen and on the impressive breakthrough album
Lost In The Dream (2014), Sonic Youth was traded in for
Dire Straits. After Neu!'s motorik beat cleared the
… field on the mostly consolidating A Deeper Understanding (2017), this fifth album makes a note of Phil Collins. At least, try not to think of In the Air Tonight during the intro of I Don't Wanna Wait. But without the release, and that goes for the whole of I Don't Live Here Anymore. In ten predominantly mid-tempo songs, Adam Granduciel's band plays it safe. Fans of a little more adventure will have to make do with the strong title track, which - although it's true - is reminiscent of Don Henley's Boys Of Summer and The Killers. (RME)more
