THE WAR ON DRUGS | LOST IN THE DREAM
This darling of an album stole the hearts of every indie music lover and critic upon its release in 2014. Its both sprawling and elegant, never rushed or anxious, forced or overthought. It is as carefree and intoxicating as a late weekend afternoon where the world seems to melt away.
The trickling hi-hat delays of “Under The Pressure” give way to a steady train of drum work and atmospherics awash in a vague sadness. It’s the sound of letting go and surrendering to what is to come; stepping out of the mind and into the heart. The entire album works very well as a whole continuous piece of work and perfectly captures the emotion of being in-between anything and everything, just floating somewhere lost but safe. It could be in between dreams, time, cities, streets, friends, anything where the fold becomes apparent. The guitars don’t serve to attack or destroy but to gently lull the listener into a meditative state of reflection.
Adam Granducial’s vocals are perfectly nondescript and un-deliberate. They sweep through as an idea of what a singer might be, leaving room for the personal romance of what it conjures up in the mind. It often comes across as a hazy memory of Springsteen, Dylan, Seager, or Mellancamp depending on the breeze floating from an open window in the middle of any-town America.
“Red Eyes” is a sublime slice of beauty evoking the world-conquering feeling of standing on a mountain and overlooking the landscapes, both separate and one with everything. There is power and excitement to be heralded. When Granducial releases his trademark “Whoo!” it’s a clear and concentrated snap of emotion that reveals his greatest optimism among the faded glory that surrounds the album. The track brings the album to a danceable high note of celebration rock, but can still play off as sadly reflective depending on your mood.
“Suffering” takes its time to breathe and pulls the listener back to an era of hi-fi stereos and vans with elaborate murals wafting with smoke and stale beer. The drum echo and harmonica on “Dissapearing” are a filtered dusty memory of an LP from decades ago that someone’s dad kept in a wood panelled basement rec room. It’s so cozy its hard to ever want to leave the space the band creates, even with only two chords
The album’s second half explores more elements of triumph, hope, confidence, and wistful daydreaming. It never revs the engine to hard or to low and keeps a steady pace onward to its destination in the distant golden sun. The album is a blurred photocopy of Heartland Rock, the music that explores the sentiment of driving down an American highway, feeling the freedom of the wind and watching the sun come down over the remote terrain.
This innovative cocktail is infused with the elements of cinnamon and rosemary, which reflect the album’s connection to comfort and warmth. The smoke from the cinnamon evokes memories of cigarettes and weed on distant late summer nights. The strawberry jam serves as the red eye sweetener, and the main competes of Bourbon and Jack Daniels capture the essence of rock music and Americana. The finished effect is both nostalgic, hazy, dreamy, and worn in.
