War On Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore

EMPOWERED BY THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Some might find The War On Drugs' late-stage transition a bit clumsy, a tad disingenuous. Diverging from their stalwart Heartland Rock, if only moderately, to accommodate greater crowds interest in modern techniques seems to have been I Don't Live Here Anymore's goal. The result? An album rife with anthemic Americana, the kind to match our vast frontier, grand vistas, and swelling nostalgia. Or, in terms a music aficionado might understand: Future Islands' 'Seasons' stretched to ten songs. The not-so subtle incorporation of Synthpop, supplementing the band's tactful Neo-Psychedelia present on Lost In The Dream and A Deeper Understanding, will be sure to distance those who've grown accustomed to The War On Drugs' traditional, conservative stylings. However, much like America, growth and change is ingrained in the backbone of all those who desire more. With its title, even I Don't Live Here Anymore feels a tad lost in the shuffle.

But throughout, Adam Granduciel and company maintain their prideful spirit with stampeding instrumentation that billows forward from all angles. Just like before, there's a real sense of discovery. Like cowboys embarking down trails set forth by Native Americans, intent on inhaling the brisk winters and natural wonders as yet unseen. There's just a fair bit of synthesizers to boot. Take 'Harmonia's Dream' or 'I Don't Live Here Anymore;' the two standouts, with their rhythmic loops caught in gusts of wind and acoustics. At times, though the synthesizers are frankly quite amateurish, I Don't Live Here Anymore feels industrial. Paving way, grazing the land, with machinery able to generate growth at a rapid pace. Based on the lyrics, it seems as though Granduciel himself is questioning this decision. Whether it's about the uninterruptible movement on 'Change' or 'I Don't Live Here Anymore,' or the sentimental embellishment of the "good ol' days" on 'Old Skin' and 'Rings Around My Father's Eyes,' one's never far removed from the questioning nature of these creature comforts. It does, occasionally, get a tad wrong generation-esque, but the still-tethered commitment to Heartland Rock gives that attitude a fitting backbone. War On Drugs have found that no matter the setting, bittersweet and ending or enthusiastic and rejuvenated, there's still beauty to be found in every corner of America.