New The War on Drugs

That review’s slightly insane - but I’m very excited for this. Listened to the singles last night in album order and the precision of this dude in the studio is unreal.

Fuck sake mate “The Taoists call this perceptual paradox Taiji, which roughly translates as “supreme polarity” and is most commonly illustrated in the philosophical concept of yin and yang. A simple example of this is, like, when you see an object and its shadow. Your brain delineates these things as “an object” and “a shadow” — but they’re entirely interdependent and only exist like that in your perception in that exact moment. Does that make sense? No? Lemme try again.”

Okay this bit actually pissed me off

“I think both those takes are (A) the same, and (B) wrong. I think people who say that kinda stuff about the War On Drugs are hearing it wrong. I think they hear the one big thing, assume that’s the thing, and tune out everything else, like everything else is either accidental or incidental. But it isn’t. Everything else isn’t even everything else. It’s everything. That’s the song. That’s the thing I’m talking about. Taiji”

I dont think anyone thinks that the other sounds are ‘accidently’ or anything but the influences mentioned do exist and what the hell do you mean by listening it wrong? Sure certain sounds can be influenced by the context and assostions of previous sounds isnt that also part of the whole?

I’m sure some people do dismiss it based on a reaction to a certain style pushed. Just as some are pushed away by autotune etc. Personally I didn’t enjoy Lost in a Dream after several listens I could admire it build ups and reverbed soaked atmosphere but it just didn’t work on me in this configuration. I get it the critique isn’t aimed at me but I think it makes some bold assumptions and I don’t really understand it’s premise. He actually confused the phenological phenomenon by badly applying it with a concrete example to make an argument on aesthetics

Blimey.

Theory test

  • I like TWOD and Bruce Springsteen
  • I like TWOD but don’t like Bruce
  • I dont like TWOD but like Bruce
  • I don’t like TWOD or Bruce

0 voters

Don’t think Bruce is their biggest rip/influence though…

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I agree tbh, but people react to them in quite a similar way imo - either ‘this is fucking great’ or ‘i have no idea why people like this’

Can’t work out whether I like this band. I kind of do enjoy the songs and they’re obviously top notch in the studio - the songs sound amazing. However, there’s a bunch of niggly little things that stunt my enjoyment of their music. Think the songs are often a bit samey, following a similar pattern, and the lyrics are cheesy singer songwriter fare - the guy always seems to be reaching a fork in the road or having a dream or suchlike. His vocal delivery is a bit static too, wish he’d let loose more on the upbeat songs.

Despite these reservations, I do think they sometimes really nail it, like with ‘Thinking of a Place’. Will give the album a go if they ever decide to release it instead of just putting out singles.

Album stream - http://www.thewarondrugs.net/firstlisten/

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After having a leak of this for a few days I have to be honest the 7/10 review on here is way off the mark.

Too high or low?

Not bowled over by the first two tracks released off the album, but listened to the album stream on their website today and enjoying several tracks much more.

I still think I find that some of the songs meander a little aimlessly, waiting for the guitar solo to kick in, but one man’s aimless meandering is another man’s slow-build, I guess.

Too low, it’s hard to give something 10 but this comes close

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Was going to give the new Ghostpoet album a listen on the way home, looks like plans just changed. I’ll be reversing that train down a long road towards a deeper understanding instead. Or something like that.

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Argh - website’s crashed. Was also looking forward to the journey home.

I listened to this album. to see if it’d confirm my thoughts about him or undermine them, having previously only listened to 30 seconds or so of a few tracks and written him off. it didn’t really do anything for me. just seems like he’s combined a load of bands from the 60s, 70s and 80s into an indistinct aural sludge.

will I listen to it again? who can say

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This is awesome. There’s more urgency to this than their previous stuff imo, Up All Night is such an exciting opener.

Yep this is really really good. So big and dense and loads to unpack but definitely feels like an AOTY

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Cheers for the heads up. Really enjoying this on first listen.

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I’m enjoying this but his voice has gone really Bryan Adams hasn’t it.

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