Reviews (page 9 of 13)
Heartland rock is really cool idk why its been so long for me to listen to this. But really homey and warm album.
This was ok.
I like it's good. Would happily listen to it anytime, although probably wouldn't seek it out myself. Rating: 3
Great album to have in the background while working/thinking/writing.
This is the most three-star album I've heard on this list. Very moody and had good atmosphere.
Alright
Good album, bit slow
3+ Stars (9/15)
Wasn't familiar with, The War On Drugs" and my pre-conceived idea of their sound was different than I thought. It was quieter and more thought provoking than I expected and overall I liked their sound and songs. A bit of a Wilco-vibe and even an Americana feel, so it was comfortable and easy to listen to. I thought though, the songs became a little "samey" as it wore on and it did drag and became less interesting towards the end. Good, but not great (or essential), but worth the time and worth a future dive into their album catalogue.
Day 36: Lost in the Dream - The War on Drugs. War on Drugs album 1/1. I can hear a potential influence coming from 1970's rock music. However, it does not feel as authentic or nostalgic. It's somewhat difficult to remember what happened in the album at all after listening to it. Bruce Springsteen is a significantly more interesting artist form the Heartland rock scene. The music seemed to fade into the background. It's a lot better than some of the mainstream pop music that came out around the same time, but this album still isn't too impressive. I find the selection of new albums in "1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" to be quite arbitrary. There are so many more important albums that came out more recently. Unless I am mistaken, this album only survived in the 2016 edition of "1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". While a lot of great albums suffered the fate of removal from the list purely for being newer albums, I do believe that it was an appropriate action to take for this album. Personal Enjoyment: 3/5. How Much It Belongs Here: 2/5.
Amazing album, inspired thoroughly by Bob Dillon but with the energy of the killers.
-this wasn’t too bad. maybe a bit indie contemporary for my taste, and damnnnn some of those songs could’ve been cut down -some of them were absolutely beautiful and captivating though. i LOVE the lead singer’s voice and the 80s / 90s rock influence -Favorites are Suffering and An Ocean In Between The Waves
I liked this... Easy listening and inoffensive, however, it didn't excite me and is very "background friendly"
I like the style of music and lyrics and could easily listen to 2 or 3 songs in one go, but listening to the whole album in one session was a bit too much
Nice, not really special
This is good, but I like there other stuff more.
a little bob dylan, a little bruce springsteen, honestly not good enough to be either, but hard to fuck up when you’re primarily drawing from two influences like that
It was pretty music but it just didn't really captivate me like I would have liked. Ethereal sounding with a touch of new wave, synth-pop. Light melodies. It was a fine album but didn't really invoke enough emotion from me.
Both this album, and the individual songs on this album, are too long. If something was going to happen in these songs, it would have happened within 3 minutes or so, but nothing ever does. These songs are the equivalent of sitting in a dentist’s waiting room. And when someone lets out a weird high-pitched “WHOow!!” in a dentist’s waiting room, it doesn’t make me think that the dentist’s waiting room is exciting, it just makes me think the guy yelling is nuts.
Not bad, maybe a little tedious. "We have Bob Dylan at home" set to the music of Bruce Springsteen.
Good stuff. A little repetative and boring, but I appreciate the heady Greatful Dead/Folk Rock. If this is something you're interested, I implore you to consider the various other 2010's folk rock revival bands. Shakey Graves, Houndmouth, Lumineers, Mt. Joy, and Dawes. Kudos tho the War on Drugs was featured on a Greatful Dead tribute album in 2016 called "Day of the Dead" they did a brilliant cover of Touch of Grey.
I have never heard of this band, but i liked the album. Seems to be my style of music
for some reason i accidentally gave this a 5 star rating despite never hearing this a day in my life so i'm listening and editing my rating Under The Pressure - 4/5 Red Eyes - 4/5 Suffering - 3/5 An Ocean In Between The Waves - 4/5 Disappearing - 3/5 Eyes To The Wind - 4/5 The Haunting Idle - 1/5 (zzzzz) Burning - 4/5 Lost In The Dream - 4/5 In Reverse - 4/5 Average score: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hij was eigenlijk wel beter, maar gewoon een beetje saai.
It’s like Bryan Adams with a pedalboard
Als Hintergrundmusik war es in Ordnung. Das Album scheint ja eher heavy zu sein, da müsste man nun mehr auf die Lyrics achten um es besser bewerten zu können ggf. So, aber 3 Sterne für mich.
Okayish
Quite enjoyable but I'm not convinced it's essential listening.
Not my taste
The War On Drugs sounds like everyone other than an original band. Coldplay, Springsteen, OK Go, some 80’s yacht rock. It’s a solid album, great musicianship, vocals are decent, songs are bland. Maybe they should have tried drugs? I dunno.
I like it. Good background music to listen to while working or just chilling.
A few individual songs I ADORE, but overall it didn't capture me. I'll probably come back to it though, and may like it more.
Groovy. Enjoyed this one more than I imagined I would.
This was fine. At times it felt between a cross between Bryan Adams and Bob Dylan.
Soft mild vibes, a good part was just instrumental, occasionally there were some mumbly vocals. Good background music, suitable for post-credit nothingness. 3.5 rounded down for length. Stand-out: Suffering
Poor man’s Bruce Springsteen. This band is close to being great, but something is missing. I can’t put my finger on it, but maybe it’s because I could play drums for this band - so basic. The songs just don’t go anywhere. I want to go on a ride and they don’t do it for me.
it was okay. the album all kind of sounded the same. 3 stars
A few really good tracks, but most of it is boring and one dimensional. 3.5 stars
Cool.
Started off strong, and I enjoy the Springsteen vibes, but every song is too long, and there's too much ambient noise filler.
Read their pretentious Spotify profile and try to give this more than a 3
First album after an almost 2 week hiatus has found me unfocused and unserious. I can’t fairly judge this album as I barely functioned as my weekday self/in my weekday routine today. The vibes were cool, I think I’ll circle back at some point because I enjoyed it more than not, but I think it’s a combo of my brain being at 60% and this album being super chill that it blurred together for me. It’s a nice sound, and I think if I had had coffee before the album I could’ve told you which songs or lyrics I liked, but as it is, and within the constraints of the info I retained from listening, it *feels* cool. I liked what I heard and aside from the double sided coin that is a constant and chill vibe, I have no complaints.
It was an enjoyable indie rock album! His voice kind of gave me bob dylan vibes. Nothing super spectacular to make me come back probably.
I actually liked it. Mood music with a few fun melodies. Very dreamlike, per the title.
When your friends ask you to play some background music for the hangout so you put on Lost In The Dream because you’re a chill guy.
I've actually heard of this band prior to starting the list. I was studying at the library in college when I first heard "Red Eyes". I was listening to a random local radio station based out of Portland Oregon on the iHeartRadio website when it came on. I liked it at the time, but never really followed up with the band. They're sound is right up my alley especially at the time. Perfect music to listen to while studying. I'm glad I did a full album, and I'll keep them in the rotation. The War On Drugs has the most mid 2010's sound, and I discovered them in the most mid 2010's way.
I had heard a few from the album before. I found myself really enjoying the album- their sound is mellow and understated but still captivating. I found that sometimes the songs seemed to meld into each other. Still- I found myself enjoying a lot of the songs. Overall- probably 3.5/5, but not quite a 4
This album sounds like when you're at an outdoor stadium concert and it's the opening song and the band really stretches out the intro and there's an anxious lull as you're waiting for the first verse to properly start... that feeling, but extended for 60 minutes. The instrumentation doesn't deliver the spontaneity you'd expect from a jazz band or jam band - The War On Drugs is heartland rock not dissimilar from The Killers albeit with inexplicably greater hype - so the overall sensation is basically akin to edging.
I just wish the vocals were a little louder on some of the tracks.
I really wanted to like this more. The final track shows the potential.
I enjoyed some things on this album like 3 tracks listed below which leaned more into the indie rock side of things. However, the majority of this album more resembled Explosions In The Sky-esque wonderous film score vibes. While that's not always a bad thing (I do love Explosions), I would have preferred the indie side to have been more relied upon. Not an all-around bad record, just meandered a bit for my liking. Notable Tracks: - Red Eyes - Eyes To The Wind - Burning 5/10
Really good album. Easy to put on and play all day.
3/5
Kind of easy listening, doesn't hurt the ears but not memorable either. 3.2
Don’t think I’ve heard this before. I saw them live and felt like every song was somewhat repetitive and dragged out. I felt similarly about the album. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t vary enough to keep things interesting. Burning is a great song still.
Really apt album title.
Reminds me a bit of arcade fire or the national, bands that I feel like I should like more. Beautiful instrumentals but I mostly found them boring. I liked the build-up in some of these songs, but I often just struggled through. 3
A very chill and dreamy alternative rock album that was perfect for an evening drive yesterday, but ultimately one I find quite forgettable as soon as it’s over
Its fine 3/5
Fine as background music
it was okay, rather long
Mélancolique et planant. La cadence de la voix me fait parfois penser à Bob Dylan
Middle of the road album, sounded like 80’s which is not a bad thing. Also vocalist sounds like a more coherent Bob Dylan.
Ah nothing like a slightly better Bob Dylan
eh. Nothing very special. I did like the instrumental bits, track 7 was nice but it all kinda sounded the same. I did like how ethereal it sounded but the tracks have a tendency to just go on and on with no end goal that they're pushing towards they just kind of exist for two unnecessary minutes longer than they should. Also the dude's voice sounded like Bob Dylan on most tracks and sometimes sounded like a mashup of Dylan and Eddie Vedder on "Yellow Ledbetter" cause I could not understand about 90% of what he said. Not a fan of the voice or the unnecessary length but musically it sounded mostly solid.
meh. musically it was nice (enjoyed the piano on several tracks), but it did all blend together. was nice enough as background music. vocally, he reminded me of a hipster Bob Dylan (not a fan).
At first I thought this was another ONE of those ONE albums on this list. It came around though and really has some tracks of some like modern folk(Americana)vibes.
I've listened 3x in the background and I'm not sick of it yet… but it has also not caught my interest once.
Quite nice, especially if you liked U2 in 1983.
Listenable
There's some rousing songs on here but I find it hard to really engage with the music. Still awesome live though.
enjoyed this a decent amount but won’t go back probably
Oh, you know, I feel like Eyes to the Wind is like a beautiful, colourful flag flying on a ship of quiet shadows. It certainly has depth. And waves. Echoes.
Incredible start but it does slowly fade, for me. First 2 tracks are excellent music. :)
This was a chill listen for an early day 1 hour road trip on an overcast Saturday. The first couple tracks were probably the strongest, but it flowed well and was just about the right length. Didn’t save anything to a playlist and most likely won’t revisit, but it was above average. 3.5/5
A little sleepy for me. Put it on a couple times over the weekend but honestly I don’t really remember much. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. Not a very insightful review but perhaps appropriate for how I feel about this. 2.75
Pretty solid but not exceptional. I like how AM recommended a Dad Rock playlist when I started listening. Pretty fitting. Def an enjoyable listen but not a standout so caps out at a 3 for me. 3.25/5
These odes to depression and grief don't do much for me. This one was rather well done though.
I've never really "got" The War On Drugs. They aren't bad just never really clicked with me. I've seen them live at a festival one time and thought they put on a show but I don't really remember anything from them. Anyways 6/10
There is a consistent sound through this album that does make the songs indistinguishable to some extent. However I didn't mind listening to it a few times through while working.
I enjoyed it when I listened to it but by the end of the day I thought I had forgotten to listen to todays album. That is not a good sign.
I’m such a big fan of albums with constant 6+ mins songs compared to just loads of 2min songs
Interesting but overall too much of the reverb. Definitely worth more than one listen. Also I was expecting more war and more drugs.
Fine but a little forgettable
It's a bit long and samey, and he sounds like Bob Dylan
Didn’t hate it
A few good moments, general vibe was ok, nothing that will change the world. Sounded like a lot of other similar equally generic bands from the last few years though.
Very chill music. Enjoyable in the moment, but a little forgettable. His voice kind of reminds me of Bob Dylan, but better?
The more ambient sounding stuff good. The Dylan-esque tracks shite.
Opening up an album with a 9 minute song - what is this, peak Genesis? Alas, it is not (and for that we are all the lesser) but off the top it still emerged as a nice soundscape. Through this first song it's a little same-y by alternating between 2 chord sequences virtually the entire time, but altering the mood with different arrangements helps a lot. It's a well-done track but might have been better served as the/an album closer? A lot of David Gray sound to it which is somewhat troubling in that he has an immediately-accessible sound/voice which got/gets old very fast. So those were thoughts just through said first 9 minutes / first song and the rest of the album kind of held up to my last thought there - it just all doesn't go much further in a lot of ways... It all sounds *nice* - very nice. But it washes over me, and each song is far too long for its own good - these would have been much better-served being 3.5-4 minute songs with a clear chorus - actually a rare album where I think they (he?) should have set a goal of being more commercial in terms of appeal. There's a lot of meandering around a simple/nice idea to the point where suddenly 5 minutes have gone by, I'd forgotten what I was listening to, and wow is it the same song? huh. One specific example: I don't love the repetitive "drum" tracks; especially on track 4 "An Ocean in Between the Waves; this could/should have been much more emotional impact on this song - it's good but without a live drummer it fails for me. Also: it's all a little too Arcade Fire meets Bob Dylan for my tastes. TL;DR: It doesn't feel right giving this a low grade because it's so melodic and a lot of care, effort, and talent was put into it. It just left me wanting a lot more and ended up being not edgy or mysterious enough for me to put it in keeper status. It's a nice listen, but that's as far as I can get behind it. 5/10 3 stars.
Decent but not great
Decent background music
Meh. Too jam-band-y for me.
Depressed Bruce Springsteen.
Loved how long the songs were and had like this big musical bridges that sounded like improvisation.
A little disappointed not gonna lie. Saw the genres indie and rock and got… not what I was expecting. Very soundscape-y, using lots of non instruments. Didn’t care for the vocals too much. 2.5
This is like spacey, somewhere between cocaine high and weed low. If you know who Arcade Fire is and like them, I think you’d like this. I found myself searching for a little more from them as I continued to listen. The album could be a soundtrack for mostly anything in life. Long road trip? Pool Party? Showering? Sex? Cleaning the house? Yep, this will do it. I have no choice cut due to each song just carrying off of the one before it.
6/10…indie / indie rock
3 it was ok. Reminded me of a spacey bob Dylan/dire straits. A little too samey throughout
This is pleasant. It sounds so much like a Bruce Springsteen album and it's easy to get along with. Never heard of this group before this project, but I'm happy this one came across and I had a chance to experience it.
It's ok... typical Indie with a couple of good moments. If I were to listen to it a few more times it might grow on me more. On one listen, it's ok.
Good alternative band, with good music. Voice reminds me of Tom Petty.
Very good rock and roll album. Hard to define to be honest, but it was good! Had a bit of a deep dive, and there’s some excellent stuff by them!
Man did this put me in a mood. Very atmospheric, it has a weird 80's tone to it in places, "An Ocean Between The Waves" has a very Don Henley, Boys of Summer vibe to it, just dark. Interesting album for sure, the song runtimes are on the long side for me, but it kept my interest.
There are times I really like this album and then there are times I think it sounds really off. I do like them as a live band and prefer the live drugs album vs. the studio stuff.
mid album nice soundtrack 👍👍
Very chill I like the instrumental in disappearing
3.4
Hey, who gave Bruce Springsteen all the heroin?
some of it is like listening to a secret Arcade Fire album in an unproblematic way, some of it is like Bob Dylan But Worse.
This was pretty good, though I didn’t really like the singer's voice and the tracks were all similar to one another. It’s somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. I like this kind of melancholy, atmospheric style, and I wouldn’t mind listening again. Favorite track: Red Eyes
Red Eyes
Solid indie rock. Under The Pressure, Red Eyes, and An Ocean In Between The Waves.
Honestly neat album. Probably should give it a relisten
Pleasant, mellow, liquid grooves...but didn't quite grab me ... 3
Didn't know them - few great songs on that album
A pleasant listen but nothing all that remarkable. I love Under The Pressure and Burning but most of this just blends together and a lot of the songs go on for a tad too long. An easy listen but one I don't think I will revisit a lot.
.5. Pleasant general sound
I liked the first half of this album more than the second half.
I really liked it, but at some points it almost sounded like he was trying to imitate Bob Dylan?? Lol??
A love child made from a threeway between Bryan Adams, Dire Straits, and Bruce Springsteen. Each song could've been 2 minutes shorter. 3/5
This is a vibe. It sounds like a lot of things that I like. And yet, I didn't find myself loving this. It moves along at a very slow and deliberate pace, which is also fine. But the music and songs never seem to rise above its downbeat to midtempo heartland rock groove shackles. It's like somebody tacked a bunch of Pink Floyd song intros to a batch of Jackson Browne tracks, and drenched it in a ton of reverb, to drive home the point that you're listening to a very moody album. None of it stuck for me.
I think there’s definitely some highlights to be found here; but the musicality was lacking to the point to where, at times, tracks just sort of blended into each other. It’s a pleasant listen, for sure. I just think this is the kind of album that you’ll find hearing as background music in a music shop, more than something you’ll go out of your way to listen to. So while it’s not a bad LP, it’s also not a very interesting one.
Pleasant enough Favorites: "Red Eyes", "Suffering", "Eyes To The Wind"
What is this exactly? A lot of different sounds. AA Bondy a little. Sort of Springsteeny. Downtempo chill Bryan Adams? It sounds familiar but new in a way (although some of these songs could use a good Springsteen chorus). I want him to have a stronger voice or a little edge to it, but overall I liked the album and may give it another spin. 3.7
A little bit Bob Dylan, a little bit Dire Straits, a little bit surprisingly not for me.
This is a lovely sounding album. Rainy day, plop it on the turn table and stare out the window. Craft beer, table top game with some close friends, no drama. No single song stands out, though. If one come on when shuffle play is enabled you’re not turning it off, but you’re probably not seeking any of them out.
Are The War On Drugs the defining dad rock band of the 2010s?
Some nice, mellow rock music for when you're in your feelings. Not major feelings though. We don't get too sad around here.
Singer reminds me of Tom Petty. The weird part is the song I was thinking the first song sounded like was "red eyes" (in this album) which is actually a WOD song and not Petty's. Enjoyed the sound, but nothing super stood out to me, some of it was very aerial and understated. 3* Highlights: red eyes (probably the most upbeat song in this album), burning (slow start but eventually gets good)
Ok - melodic album. Lots of Springsteen / Neil Young influences, maybe too much.
Bem legal o álbum, viajado. O som é um cruzamento insano de the police, pink floyd, kings of leon, the killers e strokes. Muito bom, agradável. Grata surpresa! Ouviria outros álbuns da banda em busca de mais.
A little more atmospheric than I like, but not horribly so and not in an annoying electronic way. It was okay.
I want to like it more than I do, but some of those songs are lacking originality. One banger can't carry the whole album.
It's OK.
Blandly inoffensive, for the most part. There were stretches of annoying instrumentals, though.
Mindless listening, tal como dicen pop Dylan, bastante normal
Chill alternative album.
Was melancholic and sad but really enjoyable. i liked the first half of the album more. 3.0/5.0
3.5/5
song reco: red eyes ⭐⭐⭐ i got bored listening
Some of the tracks here drone on for too long, without any interesting variation. I feel like I would enjoy some of these songs on their own, but put together as a full experience, it all kinda blends into a reverb soaked heap.
Buen disco de post-rock.
Mellow mood music.
Not bad. Another band that I think is probably fairly talented, but I don't really dig what they're doing. Good background music, sort of "atmospheric" most of the time. Singer sounds Dylan-esque at times, which isn't really a compliment from my perspective.
This is an album I feel like I should like more but don’t. Everything kinda sounds the same and it’s good but drones on a little.
3.5
Like it but... yes, a bit monotonic.
I like this album. I used to put Red Eyes on while running and go faster whenever it picks up. But their most recent album, I Don't Live Here Anymore, just blows this out of the water. The title track has become one of my all time favorite songs. I recommend that album if you like this even a little bit. Oh, their Tiny Desk is really good too.
Hmmh. Nett. Irgendwie besonders. Nichts für much
Just an OK listen. Pretty generic indie style music. I did enjoy the track red eyes. The album could have been 15-20 mins shorter it felt. Probably more background music for me. Rating low 3/5.
Some great songs but slow in other spots
liked this better than i thought i would but still not really my vibe. i probably wouldn’t listen again
Stundtals ganska bra.
Not bad. Funnily enough, they kind of resemble Bob Dylan, though I suspect Bob Dylan has better lyrics.
Under the Pressure - 3.75 Red Eyes - 4 First half was slow, but the second half was enjoyable. A welcome pickup in pacing. Suffering - 2 An Ocean In Between - 4 Disappearing - 3.5 Eyes to the Wind - 3.5 The Haunting Idle - 3 Burning - 3 Lost in the Dream - 3 In Reverse - 3 Overall, the music is great. Vocals are fine, but at times he has that drawn out Bob Dylan voice on certain lines. There are definitely some high and low points; fast and slow. Most songs feel about 2 minutes too long.
Nothing special. Possibly background music?
I'd probably rate 3.5 but this app doesn't let me do half stars. Soooo 3 closer to a 3.5.
Not as exciting as the name would have you believe.
Some dreamy indie pop with shades of Springsteen and Dylan. Nothing amazing.
I kind of like Lost in the Dream
i vibe with the neo-psychedelic americana sound but the songwriting here lacks punch, causing the songs to wind up being a little unremarkable. in 2012 the killers pretty much did this album, replacing the cool neo-psych with pop dramatics and i much prefer that personally. an ocean in between was the stand out here
Good album to chill out to.
Fave song: an ocean between the waves Least fave: disappearing/haunted idle Easy listening, songs kinda blend together. 7/10
I listened to this while cooking and it made a pleasant enough background. Nothing jumped out and grabbed me, rather it was a textured, layered haze that shuffled and chugged along. I heard hints of Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, and Bruce Springsteen at various moments. I could imagine this growing on me with subsequent listens. I wouldn't mind listening to more from them.
Sometimes it has a dire straits feel…It’s kind of all over the place, but I did enjoy it and would listen to it again. I had never heard of the group or the album, but this is very good and worthy of more listens.
This album makes you feel lost in a dream. I almost forgot I was listening to the album. It sounds good and there is nothing wrong with it, but it is not an album you ask to listen to unless you need some background music.
Fine. I saw them perform at a music festival a couple years ago and it was a good concert, but I wasn’t wowed enough to seek out their material afterwards.
I haven’t checked this one out in a while. Really nice songs that sprawl out like the scenery on a road trip, long jams that aren’t too jammy, just ride a particular groove for a while, like kosmische country. My only criticism is it goes longer than my attention span and is pretty samey.
Unremarkable
Never listened to this entire album before now. I like it. Will revisit.
Melancholic and sweet sounding record
really no strong feelings about this one
this album was actually pretty pleasant as background music, but when you tune into any song, they all sound basically the same as the rest. there's really no variety between them, so if you'd like a one-hour background track, this is the album for you. this album sounds like the killers playing nonstop in the background while you're wandering aimlessly in a shopping mall. since this was decently enjoyable but overall uninteresting to me, i'd rate it around a 3.5. sadly, i must round down because all these songs are far too long individually. favorites: under the pressure, red eyes, suffering, an ocean in between the waves, burning
I liked this.
kinda boring
It's atmospheric, just not my jam.
Wtf is that sound at the beginning of Under the Pressure... oh that's the hihats... thought it was Komarov Fall 2.0 Very chill laid back albums. 80s pop influences all over it. Especially eyes to the wind sounds like something from Traveling Wilburys. However the album is a bit too samey and is filled with too much instrumental sections lacking substance, a bit like Queens '13
To listen again
Found this to be quite mediocre. Nothing really stood out. But I didn't hate it either. 3/5
Me gustó bastante. Es una banda de atmósfera, tipo The Cure, pero la voz es completamente distinta. Está para escucharlo más veces.
It's a pleasant enough album, some of the songs are honestly quite relaxing to listen to, but a lot of the songs just drag and because of that the most I can give this is 3/5.
A cross between the Cure and Bob Dylan. Very mellow, but not very memorable.
I would assume that to make it onto a list like 1001 albums to listen to before I die, said album should have something special about it. Maybe the first of a genre, influential in some way, a key entry in an important artist’s discography, or perhaps just singularly exceptional in some way. Sadly, see none of this in this album. It’s not a bad album. It was, I suppose, mildly enjoyable and I wouldn’t be bothered to listen to it again. I wouldn’t even mind if Spotify popped some of it into a playlist in the future. But it’s not a standout album in any sense.
Totally new bands to me totally new album. The thing that catches my attention right away is the persistent drum Shuffle rhythm that goes through most of these tracks. I didn’t really resonate with a lot of the lyrics. But musical.ly not bad at all.
I never quite understood the hype surrounding this band. But I also never really listened to their work before this album today. I appreciated it. The songs convey atmosphere. It was perfect for a grey-ish pring day in the city. You can feel they have given a lot of thought, time and craft to their sound. There seems to be a lot of work behind this. These are people who obviously take their craft very seriously. All interventions seem precise, intentional, thoughtful - every song like a carefully crafted little box. The flipside is that they also kind of sound the same, and that spontaneity seems lost. The whole ends up feeling a bit too sanitized and clean for my taste.
Great chill album from front to back
I expected a more wild or exotic album from how absolutely ludicrous and pretentious the band describes themselves. The album was alright but nothing special. Prog rock influence but eh
I liked it, it was good
The Haunting Idle is right up my alley, and the rest of the second half is also better than first
its cute
felt long! quite melodic though, and a great voice. just dragged on
under the pressure is a 5 star track on a 3 star album
Interesting...mostly non-lyrical...everything kind of sounded the same to me. It was ok.
This album is aiming for a certain type of atmosphere and does it well. One of the better modern indie picks, all in all
TWOD is weird. I both like them AND think they’re making boring mid-80s rock, a la Don Henley or Richard Marx or something.
These are good finds, but it’s so hard to know if they influenced other bands, or were influenced by them. This sounded like a lot of other indie rock bands. Good, but probably won’t replace Arcade Fire in my rotation.
I liked the song Suffering a lot because I was in the middle of a big think when it came on and I was like woah this song fits perfectly. But then once I was done with the think all the songs blended together. I got ahead of myself.
Pleasant surprise. 3.5/5
Liked everything about it (except the name of the band). The War On Drugs was a stupid idea back in the 80s and it’s nearly as bad for a band name. But the album is solid, all songs listenable, no fillers. Red Eyes and Eyes To The Wind are stand outs. Echoing guitar riffs and lyrics are catchy. Will look into more of their offering. (3.2*s)
Some of these songs sounded familiar but I couldn't tell if they just sounded like something else or I've actually heard them before. I did like how a few of the songs build over time but a few of them are also too long so it cancels out. The singers voice goes with the music nicely and I like the fast song/slow song combo throughout. Nothing super memorable but nothing bad either. I enjoyed it and could hear more by them. Terrible band name though.
I've only been exposed to a minimal amount of The War on Drugs. They definitely have a sound that carries through the entire album. I like the melodic psychedelic musicality. I can see this as good background music for a variety of scenarios. Might inspire me to check out more of their stuff. Supposed to see them live next week. 2.8 stars
Disappointed in this. I liked the first 2 tracks from radio play, but the rest is all the same. I get the nostalgia 80's vibe it's got going, but wanted more to happen.
No lo terminé de escuchar, me aburrió un poco. La tapa del álbum es engañosa, resulta ser un 80s rock pop revival, parecía algo más oscuro y experimental.
Irgendwie interessant und ich glaube, der Künstler will ausdruckstark sein. Atmosphärischer Rock? Aber es hat mich nicht gepackt. Gerade so 3.
3.8 - As far as indie rock goes, this record leans more as straight-up mainstream rock, sounding something like a dreamier, subtler version of Bruce Springsteen or Arcade Fire. My only real gripe is how the record begins — at 9 minutes, “Under the Pressure” is a nice pop track that could’ve been chopped down to a smart 3 minutes.
Solid, Dylan-esque
This is soothing, but VERY repetitive
Pretty dull at points, but enough hints of Dylan, Springsteen, and some of the better 90s indie, that it didn't annoy me much. I think they were pretty popular with the critics and reviewers at the time, but there's no great evidence for why on this record. In level and (a little) in style, it prompts me to think of what an American Badly Drawn Boy would be like
Rock, 2014 -> 3
I thought I'd hate it but it turns out it's like the indie rock I never listened to when i was 15. It's dreaminess makes it feel nostalgic but about 20 minutes in I felt the songs getting a little same-y. I definitely feel the many 2 star reviews for this one. Disappearing is a deliciously 80s styled song, the slow driving drums and guitars are very Blue Nile, and the bassline is sort of Karn-ian. I like the transition between the haunting idle and burning, I just wish the two songs were a tad shorter. This album feels like it would've been a fantastic 30 minute or so EP rather than a medicore hour long album.
I like the music but the vocals weren’t doing it for me.
The songs are about 6-7 minutes long each, which is longer than what I usually like. I also feel like there were a lot of instrumental parts of the song which was nice, but I usually am a lyrics person so I was a bit taken aback but I still really liked it!
I can see why people like this, but it's not for me
Hmm, I find the War On Drugs weird. I like them in theory, I think his voice is really cool and some of the guitar is sweet, but it all feels a little deflated for some reason. This album was good but it fells like someone is rocking out but in the room next door. Their song I Don't Live Here Anymore (not this album) is incredible and I love it but then when I go to listen to the rest of their stuff like this album I just feel it's a little blah. But I still enjoyed it.
A pleasant mix of Simon and Springsteen. Too long.
Well crafted, albeit a bit forgettable. I enjoyed particular parts of songs, but never the entirety of them. I guess that's bound to happen with the longer songs. Fav songs: - Red Eyes
The best 80s album of 2014. It was good, very reminiscent of 80s era new wave and radio rock.
I've been meaning to check out The War on Drugs, specifically this album, considering the fact that this is one of the most renowned indie rock albums of the 2010s. This is a deeply intimate album, with an infectious melancholic aura that absorbed me on my first listen. It's a soft listen, and the longer songs feel like these hypnotic voids of endless thought, sadness, and yearning. Just listen to the repetitive outro of the song "Disappearing". While not the most interesting vocalist by any means, Granduciel's a great writer, beautifully capturing the gloomier elements of nostalgia on quite a few of these songs. With that said, I still think I'm conflicted with this album. Having listened to it front to back, it still feels like something's missing. Maybe it's because I feel like all these songs follow a similar sonic pattern, instrumentally they're composed of the same set of airy and gorgeous sounds. The album has a few more "upbeat" tracks, where the drums are driving the song and those tend to be my favorites. I specifically like the songs "Red Eyes", "In Reverse" and "Eyes to the Wind" for that reason, they feel like great standalone indie rock epics. The more meandering, slow-burner tracks, while still enjoyable, I can't see myself revisiting very often. I'd say that applies to most of the final leg of this album except the closer. I think the closer is the best song here, with some clear Bob Dylan influences, the songwriting here showcases a stagnant sense of one's existence in the presence of isolation. It's like the mixture of growing past a lost relationship all the while still grappling with the fact that you're growing past it. I think while I enjoyed my first listen of this album, especially the start of it, I don't see myself coming back to it very often. The writing and atmosphere here are top-notch, but when it comes to the songs, most of them didn't stick with me. The songs that do land though hit the mark and are near perfect, and I'll be revisiting my favorite songs here for a long time.
It was okay and I liked the vibe, but nothing too memorable. I would guess being the drummer for this band is no fun with the same beat throughout every song. Favourite Songs: "Under the Pressure", "An Ocean in Between the Waves" and "The Haunting Idle"
I thought I was in for a slog getting through this jammy modern version of what sounds like dylan-esque jammy rock. But it started to grow on me! Really love the long atmospheric instrumental passages. Very chill listen.
This album delivers engaging, lengthy tracks in a laid-back style, avoiding monotony. It's an immersive, pleasant listen, that I would come back to in the future.
It reminds me of Pink Floyd's The Division Bell with more folk inspiration.
I feel like they were just trying way too hard to create a sound and vibe. I rarely say this, but the drums are killing this album for me.
Great album. Slow paced, relaxing. Great when driving
I don't hate it, I don't love it. The thing I kept thinking was "This is jam band music for people who love The National"
need to give another listen. dylan and springsteen vibes with modern approach on this.
besser als erwartet aber immer noch bissl fad
fine if not massively exciting
On the one hand, I’m a fan of these guys. Their brand of dreamy, cinematic, Springsteen-meets-Dylan heartland rock can be exactly what my ears need, sometimes. Their catalogue peaks around the 1:48 mark in Red Eyes - sublime stuff. On the other hand, the songs don’t half go on a bit. 3 / 3.5
Red eyes Suffering An Ocean In Between the Waves Eyes to the wind Burning Musically a good album. Great for if you just wanna chill and vibe. I found nothing wrong with it personally
Dreamy and soft but nothing groundbreaking. Good background music
Вроде сначала и понравилось, но вторая половина альбома слабее как по мне. До 4 немного не дотянули.
Loving the first two songs, they sound very familiar but I can't quite place them. I am pleasantly surprised!!
Good stuff. Super mellow.
Some songs great, some boring. At the 3 stars (with some goodwill)
First time I’ve listened to one of their albums and it won’t be the last. Full album synced together nicely. Standouts were and ocean in between the waves and disappearing. 3.5/5
3.5 Very very nice background noise. A lot more uplifting than I anticipated which was nice. Can’t say it really stuck with me emotionally, but it was very pleasant to have on as I was doing some writing. Some great songs in here though.
this one's alright! some pretty mellow indie rock tunes. but nothing else to it. i ended up taking a nap directly after listening to it... maybe it was because i was sleepy and the chilled out stuff only encouraged that.
Solid Album.
inoffensively beige
A couple tracks threw me back to my uni days. Nostalgia done right, it lives in the vocals. But it stops there, same old harmonies. I was expecting more from the songs I didn't know. Wish they'd experiment.
All albums are apparently 3 stars
Average American rock, although I now understand why that one Killers tune is so different in style
I did not know anything on this album or artist going in. I was pleasantly surprised here. They touch on a lot of different sounds on this album. "Burning" and "In Reverse" stood out for me as well as "Red Eyes". This is a great one for playing in the background while I'm working. I will definitely give this another listen.
2/23/24. Perhaps need to listen to this album again but didn’t expect a Spaceman 3 like experience. Instrumental driven and spacey vocals, mostly enjoyed it.
Rock, indie, pop, americana, mid, male, keys, delay on drums, BruceSpringsteen overflow, dreamy tunes, sounds all the same. Solid sunday morning music, not bad, but not mine.
Sounds like Dire Straits
Reminds me of Tom petty.. I don’t like Tom petty
Bryan Adams goes indie
sad rock album.
This was a new one for me. I wan’t sure what to expect going in, especially having so little prior knowledge. The album is really well recorded and the songs a vibrant reflection of where my mood wanted to be had it not been flipping a ream of papers to be grading and responding to the endless barrage of email which kind of blended the songs into one continuous flow. I am definitely going to relisten tonight when I can void out the world and take it in.
I want to like this album more than I actually do. I’ve definitely listened to it before. I guess this is just one of those albums that doesn’t quite do it for me.
Electric Dylan in a chilled out Traveling Williburys. It's a vibe album as I feel you lose the plot every couple songs. Difficult to differentiate at the lowest points but pretty stellar at their peaks.
It has some nice tracks, but overall, I don't understand why this is on 1001? Also, a little repetitive.
Second song "red eyes" sounds familiar but I don't think I've heard this album. The rest had a similar, nice enough vibe but nothing really stood out. I didn't add any songs to my library. I didn't write home. Would give it a 2.5 if I could, but I'm glass-half-full so 3.
Them songs were lengthyyyy
Many of the songs were quite good. Good thinks so too
Decent album.
Nice
I enjoyed this well enough. You could have told me that this was U2 in the late 80’s and that would have been pretty believable. Yet, I doubt I will revisit this one too often
Bon Iver on speed
Listened to it while coding and it kinda blended in to the background. So... OK?
Fine for background music
Surprisingly good album. I nice listen this morning in the office.
Solid album for the most part. Really easy to listen while working. Album flowed pretty well too. Only downside is that no songs really stuck out to me
There’s something very 80s about all this. Springsteenesque in parts. It’s ok, nothing I would choose to listen to in my own time but it’s alright background music while I’m working
I do really enjoy war on drugs but it does all sound very similar.
unoffensive listening
Generally liked the album but long synth passages were disturbing so I skipped them
good album not in love though
Pretty songs, didn’t find it particularly interesting
easy listening 👍
Just ok for me
U2 and Killers vibes on an indie rock record, it’s representative of the time period
Oh, I see. Apart from not living in the US, I'm right in the demographic target group for this. On the other hand, I'm not so easily duped and would have to be in a special mood to not be mostly bored by it. And, as Bob Springsteen continues to push his lush but smelly blanket on me - I'm good, dude! - annoyed even. 2.5, let's make it a 3, because I don't exactly hate it.
Eh, I don’t have a lot to say. It’s meh but not terrible.
You know? It's fine. I like the sound better than the older stuff, but it's mostly just a different flavor of fades-into-the-background.
War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream This album is a good representation of the Americana movement. With all albums that came out in the last decade, it's hard to truly see how an album that new should be a must listen. This album is good, but I don't think it is ground breaking or setting the music world on fire. To me there are better bands that I'd pick over this album/artist: Avett Brothers, Jason Isbell, to name a couple. This album is fine, but I don't know if it's really something everyone should hear before they die. 3/5
Pues no sé. Es un disco que está bien por momentos, pero que en general da la sensación de que le falta algo
I like the vibe Songs for playlist: Red Eyes Suffering
I probably shouldn’t have read some reviews before listening, but I did. “Underwhelming”, “I’ve never understood the hype”, ultimately one dimensional”, “fairly uninspiring”…. Uh oh. Especially worrisome we’re several comments about the drumming being the same across the album. The problem with that is that once it is mentioned, you can’t help but notice. And once you notice, it is hard to ignore. Like quite a few albums I’d heard through this project, it’s not bad. But neither is it especially good. Certainly not “must hear”. Solidly in the OK but no interest in hearing again. A good bit of this is downright lethargic. And most of the songs go on and on without adding anything. Over 1/2 the songs are 6+ minutes (we’ll 5:55+), all would be better if truncated by at least a minute. I’m not against longer songs, just longer songs with no reason. And the band name is just more evidence that all the good band names were gone by the year 2000. 3/5, but barely.
Pleasant
Never heard these guys before but I'm actually really liking the sound. That was pretty good but only 3 stars.
Sounds like Bruce Springsteen, but with reverb.
The blend between americana and dream pop is a very great idea, works well, but I just can't engage to those songs and I don't know why. Too repetitively mellow? Pleasant listen, tho.
I liked this quite a bit at first, but it started to drag about halfway through. Ultimately I think it’s a bit too long and the songs aren’t distinct enough. I was also surprised to find it reminded me of Seal in some places, particularly during Disappearing
This album throws a bit of everything at the wall but doesn’t really do anything particularly well. It has a pleasant sound from mixing together their influences (everything from New Wave to Ambient to Classic Rock) but ultimately doesn’t make much of a mark as a whole for me. I would normally put War On Drugs a step above most other newer Indie acts (gotta give props for the Philly rep and the fact they started with Kurt Vile in the group) but ultimately this is right in the midrange of sounding nice but not being essential.
Why are these songs so long
I was listening intently for any signs of Spacemen 3 and found none whatsoever. So that was a bit sad, but the album was fine I guess in parts, a bit dull in others. It plays out like something Tom Petty might have recorded, or even Bob Dylan in an electric phase. There's one track near the end which is more like Bruce Springsteen, and that was a definite low point for me, lots of "hey"s and generally incredibly cringe. I was half expecting it to suddenly morph into "Dancing in the Dark". It might have been a 4 star album in places, but the derivative nature let it down a bit I feel, so 3 stars from me.
Depressing
Not my fav
Songs had promise but felt incomplete; they just wandered off instead of being developed and fulfilled. Singer needs to stop trying to sound like Bob Dylan. Lots of potential - I really liked a lot of the music, it just never got to where it wanted to go.
Couple of songs with good rhythms, but the percussion becomes repetitive over time. Lyrics hard to understand, but maybe that's the point of the album. It was dream-like, I didn't give it a deep listen.
I got a bit if an 80's throw back from this one and it was just middle of the road ok at that.
This was a cool sounding album,you can really tell it’s a newer album y the sleeker production,I was vibing to it at times but it’s really not my thing.
Teilweise hörbar - aber in weiten Teilen nicht mein Geschmack.
I remember this coming out and there being a lot of hype, but it never clicked with me. Listening again I kinda feel the same, it's hard to find anything bad about it really, but also hard to pick out anything it's really good at. It's just solid rock music, needs more energy for me though.
Had been meaning to listen to this band for a while and I can see why friends like them. I liked the overall sound and vibe very much. Certain songs had a meandering style which I'm not a fan of, but a good album nonetheless. The Springsteen/ Dylan influences were clear as was some Phil Manzanera/ Mark Knopfler guitaring.
Had never heard of this band so was excited to listen to music that was completely new to me. On New Year’s Day too! A new discovery that I’ll come back to, I reckon. Swirly ambient guitar sounds. I hesitate to be that old timer who says how reminiscent new music is of past music but it does Listen to again - Suffering