The War on Drugs

The War on Drugs churns out the kind of yearning rock ’n’ roll that possesses a spirit all its own. When Philadelphia musicians Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile formed the project in 2005, their talent for creating songs that rumble like distant thunder stood out among the growing number of indie rockers embracing Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. The band’s breakout albums, 2014’s Lost In the Dream and 2017’s A Deeper Understanding, dial up the sublime with a wall-of-sound recording process employed by Granduciel, the creative engine since Vile’s departure. Massive layers of heartland-rock ruminations, reverberating guitars, and ’80s synth textures hitch a ride atop a brand of motorik traveling backroads rather than expressways. To forge its sweeping sound, The War on Drugs consistently augments its already large ensemble with numerous guest musicians. It’s a testament to Granduciel’s alchemical production that on a record like 2021’s crisp I Don’t Live Here Anymore he can transform all those voices, hands, and hearts into a pulsating whole.