SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE WAR ON DRUGS – LIVE DRUGS AGAIN

THE WAR ON DRUGS
LIVE DRUGS AGAIN
SUPER HIGH QUALITY RECORDS

Some bands often bemoan a record producer’s lack of ability to record ‘their live sound’, but perhaps no band benefits more from being captured live than The War On Drugs. There’s a peculiar majesty about The War On Drugs’ live performances that is very hard to capture in a studio setting, whether it’s the extended jams of quality musicianship, or the fragile power of Adam Granduciel’s vocals, at once driving the band’s power forward, while also threatening to pull the wheels out from under them at any point. All of that’s on display here.

Not many bands could get away with turning all of their songs into extended jams, and in the wrong hands, it would probably be Spinal Tap-esque. But this is no ordinary band, and no ordinary live sound. Played at the right volumes on the right systems, this sounds truly incredible, full of power and pomp. It comes through so crystal clear that it’s as though the band is playing in your lounge directly next to you.

It’s definitely fanservice, and that’s why the inclusion of deep cuts like “Come To The City” will appeal alongside perhaps better-known songs like “Pain”, but fans and skeptics alike could easily get behind this. While live albums often sound muddy and lose some of the ‘specialness’ of actually being in the venue, it’s difficult to think of a live album as clear, powerful, and tuneful as this in recent history, save for a Springsteen live set. Very highly recommended.

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