Lost in the Dream [LP]

by The War on Drugs

Overview

When Philadelphia-based purveyors of stripped-down, haunted rock perfection the War on Drugs came on the scene with their 2008 debut, Wagonwheel Blues, their sound perked up the ears of a new generation of soul searchers looking for a soundtrack. Summoning up the patron saints of FM radio rock, the band was constantly framed as an update to the wild-eyed sermons of Dylan and Springsteen or the summer-night abandon that Tom Petty perfected, all filtered through walls of decidedly indie guitar noise. Founding member Kurt Vile left the band to pursue his blooming solo path by the time of 2011's Slave Ambient, leaving key songwriter Adam Granduciel running the show completely for that album's well-received set of songs and heightened production. Work on follow-up third album Lost in the Dream began while the band was on tour in 2012, with the full process of writing, demoing, and recording stretching out over a 15-month period and employing five different studios in as many states. Instead of resulting in a piecemeal pastiche of discordant ideas, Lost in the Dream actually represents the most fully realized statement from the group thus far, with all ten songs gelling together with a sense of purpose and understated brilliance the band came close to before, but delivers in full here. Starting with the epic two-chord gallop of "Under the Pressure," Granduciel offers up song after song of incredibly restrained yet entirely engaged rock. The classic rock reference points led to a "blue-collar rock" labeling of the band's sound, and while there are undeniable callbacks to Petty, Dylan, and Springsteen here, as there were on earlier albums, the War on Drugs have come into their own with their sound. What comes on as simplistic or even predictable rock instrumentation always unfolds to reveal buried synth sounds, horn blurts, long ambient passages, and -- more impressively -- an unexpected emotional depth propping up the bare-bones songs. While "Burning" channels the same yelping frustration and working-class trudge of Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark," songs like "Red Eyes" and the gorgeous "An Ocean in Between the Waves" meld Jackson Browne's inward-looking sensitivity and Fleetwood Mac-like mysteriousness with an edgy depravity belonging to Granduciel alone. The songs are expansive, regardless of their tone, with the ten tunes sprawling out into almost an hourlong running time, leaving no stone unturned in their nuanced production and deceptively simple presentation. In this way, Lost in the Dream is the War on Drugs' Daydream Nation or Disintegration; lengthy distillations of similar themes result in wildly different threads of song, all connecting again in the end. It's a near flawless collection of dreamy vibes, shifting moods, and movement, and stands easily as Granduciel's finest hour so far. ~ Fred Thomas

Product Details

Release Date:	03/18/2014
Label:	Secretly Canadian
UPC:	0656605031019
Rank:	12505

Tracks

1. Under the Pressure
2. Red Eyes
3. Suffering
4. An Ocean in Between the Waves
5. Disappearing
6. Eyes to the Wind
7. The Haunting Idle
8. Burning
9. Lost in the Dream
10. In Reverse

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The War on Drugs   Primary Artist
Jon Natchez   Sax (Baritone)
Mike Sneeringer   Drums
Carter Tanton   Guitar
Nicolas Vernhes   Organ,Tambourine
David Fishkin   Saxophone
Charlie Hall   Drums,Percussion
Joseph Shabason   Saxophone
Pat Berkery   Drums
Jeff Zeigler   Drums
Ricky Ray Jackson   Pedal Steel
Adam Granduciel   Drums,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Arp Omni,Harmonica,Keyboards,Linn Drum,Wurlitzer,Percussion,Electronics,Synthesizer,Slide Guitar,Fender Rhodes,ARP Synthesizer,Piano (Electric),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String),Arp String Ensemble,Oberheim Synthesizer
Robbie Bennett   Organ,Piano,Wurlitzer,Synthesizer,Piano (Grand),ARP Synthesizer,Piano (Upright),Piano (Electric),Arp String Ensemble
Dave Hartley   Bass,Percussion,Synthesizer,Fretless Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Gabe Wax   Tape
Michael Johnson   Arp 2600,Eventide,Computers
Mike Sobel   Lap Steel Guitar
Paul Sukeena   Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Jon Ashley   Drums

Technical Credits

Greg Calbi   Mastering
Nicolas Vernhes   Mixing,Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Steve Fallone   Mastering Assistant
Brad Bell   Engineer
The War on Drugs   Performer
Jeff Zeigler   Mixing,Effects,Engineer,Pre-Mixing,Mixing Engineer,Drum Programming,Pitch Adjustment,Additional Production
Jon Lowe   Engineer
Daniel Murphy   Design
Ted Richardson   Assistant Engineer
Adam Granduciel   Dubs,Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Musician,Producer,Performer,Publishing,Photography,Art Direction,Mixing Engineer
Sean Kelly   Assistant Engineer
Dusdin Condren   Cover Photo,Photography
Gabe Wax   Tape Effects,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Matt Schimelfenig   Assistant Engineer
Michael Johnson   Composer,Engineer,Musician,Performer
Jon Ashley   Assistant Engineer