A live set by The War On Drugs is akin to having a wave of euphoria splash directly into your face.
The War On Drugs
Indeed, their powerful guitar driven music washed over the punters who had gathered for the sold out Harvest Festival sideshow at Melbourne’s North Social Club. Performing to an enthusiastic crowd, the four piece evoked an old Americana feel with their distinct sound that is tinged with folk, country and rock influences.
Imagine if The Traveling Wilburys bumped into Bruce Springsteen on the street and started to talk about The Grateful Dead – The War On Drugs is the sound of that conversation. The tunes have a rich, unified sound that rides upon lead singer Adam Granduciel’s impressive vocal stylings – he even includes a touch of Tom Petty twang for good measure.
The set, lasting just over an hour played host to material primarily from Slave Ambient, the adoration in the audience was easy to see that with only two albums these guys have built up a strong, and varied, set list of material over the years.
The philadelphia natives have endured several line up changes including the departure of founding member Kurt Vile. the four piece released second album Slave Ambient in 2011 as the follow up to 2008’s debut Wagonwheel Blues. It was recorded over several years at Adam Granduciel’s studio. While the release may have taken a few years to craft, the foursome’s live performance presents a tapestry of phosphene day dreams, fueled by guitar riffs and fuzzed-out jams. The result is into a fertile day dream of sound, imagination and many good vibes.
