The best War On Drugs records blur together. The songs, while quality on their own, form a tapestry of sound that couches Adam Granduciel’s vocals in pillowy keyboard, grooving drums, and building guitar that stretch out to emotional transcendence. The Philadelphia five-piece’s last two albums, 2014’s Lost in the Dream and 2017’s A Deeper Understanding, got a lot of positive press in rock circles, and rightly so. They were deep explorations that perfectly encapsulated their respective titles. A Deeper Understanding, especially, was one of the best records of its year.

The War On Drugs’ latest release, 2021’s I Don’t Live Here Anymore, is quite a different beast. Gone are the lengthy guitar and saxophone explorations, as the band turns its energy toward producing a tight set of self-contained songs. They sound confident and comfortable, but perhaps could have used a bit more fire. The War On Drugs have always borrowed from the sounds of Eighties album rock, but here they really lean into it. Most noticeably, they use a drum machine half the time. I’m not sure what drummer Charlie Hall feels about this, but let’s just say it makes much of the music sound tepid. The synths, processed guitar, and thin percussion make it seems like they are going for a Phil Collins vibe. 

The thing with Phil Collins, however, is that he also wrote great hooks. Granduciel does not. His lyrics are fantastic – he became a father during the writing of this album, and his songs reflect such a shift in perspective while still retaining their searching, nostalgic twinkle. His voice is front and center in a way that it has never been, and I appreciate that. However, those words don’t hang on anything remotely catchy. In this sense I compare it to Eighties Bob Dylan, who’s actually referenced a couple times on I Don’t Live Here Anymore. Like The War On Drugs do here, Dylan in the Eighties penned consistently interesting lyrics but adorned them with lukewarm music. The War On Drugs’ playing is better than those Dylan records, but I can’t help drawing the comparison.

There are a couple exceptions. The back half of the record gets into a good groove more than the top. The title track packs a punch, and sounds great coming after the subdued “Victim.” “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” also features vocal duo Lucious on the chorus, and they add a lot of color. “Old Skin” sports a needed harmonica solo and “Wasted” builds up to a solid chug. Yet I kept waiting for them to explode into one of their characteristic jams, and it never happened.

Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t a bad record. It seems to be quite popular in the mainstream rock scene, which is a good thing. Perhaps the more straightforward songs and emphasis on lyrics make it more appealing to broader circles, and if this gets more people into The War On Drugs, I’m all for it. For me, however, it is slightly underwhelming. I need to give it another spin, and am sure I’ll find stuff to appreciate once I spend more time with it. In the long run, bands try different things, and any release is more of a snapshot of where they are at a given moment. This is where they are at this moment. Overall, given the context in which I Don’t Live Here Anymore was written and recorded – by a new parent, during Covid – it makes sense that it will be a little insular. It was released at a good time too; it’s perfect music for the colder, darker months. Though it’s neither cold nor dark; I think it’s impossible for The War On Drugs to not sound comforting, even if they aren’t running at their best.So, give this a listen when you are feeling in a contemplative mood. But note that if you like it, venture into their back catalogue, where you’ll really hit that sweet spot.

Rating: