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.