Reviews (page 9 of 14)
7.5/10
Not overwhelmingly amazing or ground breaking but a good album. Love the ambient rock stuff.
7/10
This should be right up my alley, and it's nice but doesn't really hit. I'd go and see them at a festival, and may very well stay for the whole set, but equally likely to go and get a drink after 20 minutes and see who else was playing.
Nine minute opener is it aye. We'll fucking see. Hmmm slightly generic 10s indie so far. There's something going on with the sound that steps it up tho. Distortion and shit. Yeah not really my era of indie but I can still tell this is decent enough i can see why you'd be into this. May or may not revisit
Starts strong but really loses steam and gets so dull. Very forgettable music to me, I just feel like I listened to something that left me with so little after.
Like it 3/5
Good album. Nothing hugely stuck out to me, but enjoyed.
there's parts of this album I really enjoyed and other parts where the music just went on too long. they clearly are inspired by rock with hints of 90's nirvana motifs. I quite enjoyed suffering and disappearing
At first I was thinking I quite like this style, but it gets kind of samey. Disappearing has the gated reverb drums which I enjoy, so it stood out a bit more, and Lost In The Dream is quite nice too It's more like an atmospheric post-punk, new wave, post-rock adjacent thing for me, driving drum beats and bass with reverb drenched guitars. Which sounds like something I should enjoy but it's just ok Highlights: Disappearing, Lost In The Dream
Begint goed met een 909 hihat (Under Pressure), en dan vanaf 30 seconden drukt een valse piano de pret. Can't unhear. Vind de stem met die Bob-Dylan-achtige wankeling niet fijn om naar te luisteren. Wel catchy melodieën, lange nummers, en goede productie dus toch 3 sterren.
First time met dit album/deze band. Volgens mij kon dit prima in 40 minuten. Meestal ga ik juist goed op het wat uitgestrektere spul maar ‘t kan hier wel echt kabbelen. De vocals zijn er wel maar meer als sfeer en nodigen daarmee niet om actief te luisteren. Af en toe wel geinige mixkeuzes als een loeiharde (maar softe) gitaar op Suffering, die vervolgens een beetje aan ‘t noodlen slaat. Of de delays op de drums van Dissapearing en de bitcrushed snare die sporadisch langs komt, nice. De drums op Under The Pressure die op 5:25 voor de laatste paar maten nog even op alleen links geklapt worden, cool effect als het niet een heel nummer/album lang is à la early beatles stereo. Anders dan dat zijn er weinig dingen die eruit springen. Deze tracks leunen op slechts 2 akkoorden (en bij Suffering de juiste 2 (( I, IV)) heerlijk). Zo ook op Dissapearing (en grote delen van Under the Pressure) maar dan (IV, V) net wat minder heerlijk. Op An Ocean In Between The Waves is het minuten lang (VI, V) waar ik dan weer helemaal slecht op ga. Dan zijn 7 minuten erg lang. Excuseer de muzieknerderij. Doet soms denken aan tracks van Jesus and the Mary Chain maar dan heel soft. Of hoor ik een Springsteen/ Tom Petty achtig anthem (Burning) maar dan heel soft? Soms 80s wave als inspiratie. Al met al denk ik dat dit erg lekker weg luistert in de zon. Het is heel veel major key (yay!), strummy gitaren, softe synths en soms ritmisch stuwend. Het snoozegevaar ligt wel voortdurend op de loer maar mocht je in slaap vallen en 5 minuten later wakker worden heb je én niks gemist, én een dikke kans dat je nog steeds naar hetzelfde nummer aan het luisteren bent. Beste: Lost In The Dream / Suffering / Burning / Red Eyes Minste: An Ocean In Between The Waves / The Haunting Idle Albumhoes: Ondanks ik dit nooit geluisterd heb, zit deze hoes wel in m’n hoofd sinds release in 2014, samen met dat Warpaint album wat volgens mij rond dezelfde tijd uitkwam en een soortgelijke groengele wazigeheid was. Blijkbaar trekt me dat dus wel maar hij doet me een beetje sad aan en dat voel ik niet bij deze plaat. Misschien moet ik ‘em nog eens luisteren en meelezen 3/5
De dreamy, psychedlische indie rock van de war on drugs is direct herkenbaar en dit is het album waar dat geluid is vastgelegd. Niet alles kan helaas de aandacht vasthouden, maar de a-side is naar mijn mening sterk.
I hadn't listened to The War On Drugs before, this is a cool mellow album with a psychedelic feel to it.
Sonically beautiful, but not making any connection otherwise. I could have this as background music all day or when relaxing and I still wouldn't be able to name or sing a song.
Good album
Very good Good melodies, easy to hum along to having never heard it before. Enjoyable High 3
Te veel van het zelfde, melancholisch wel
it’s like if role model and timothee chalamet as bob dylan had a baby and that baby was a sad millennial. that said, it was chill but entirely forgettable
Calmer background music. I like the use of synths Edit Apr 15 2026: 4 --> 3
really enjoyable, but it didn't stick out to me overall. red eyes and in reverse tho ♡
Just didn't catch me much, listenable though. Would give a 3.5 if I could.
This was an ok album. I found it relaxing but could get a little repetitive at times.
Half a decent pop album, the other half kind of boring folk rock.
7/10. Pretty decent Heartland rock.
Starts strong.
1/2 80s pop album, 1/2 bad Bob Dylan impression. I didn't mind the 80s parts.
my nostalgia goggles have led me to believe that this album is way better than it actually is. it’s cohesive to a fault AKA most tracks sound the same. that being said, they could never make me hate you red eyes!!
A newer one from this century… very happy to hear - good vibes on this but not very memorable.
This was good! Did it need to be an hour? No, but its really good.
Pretty chill
- Feel like I should enjoy this more, but it's Americana inspirations inspire me to seek out those roots rather than listen to this album more. - "Red Eyes" is the only track with longevity, but it blends in with everything else once the whole album is played. I instead found myself gravitating to "Eyes To The Wind." - The Killers would go on a similar Americana bender a few years later. This is more atmospheric than that, but I am not sure that is doing it any favors.
Strong album
spokojny album ale na czasie
Mellow, good lyrics and well crafted but ultimately one dimensional. Reminds me of Don Henley’s 80s work, Bryan Adams, and in its best moments a glimmer of Dire Straits and Bob Dylan. 3⭐️
Buen grupo, un poco monótonos.
Probably first on the list that I don’t see a need to go back to. Most songs settle into a groove and don’t change much. Do like some of the 80’s inspiration.
It's a really nice album to listen to, and there will probably be times and moods where I'll come back to it, but it's so one-dimensional, making it meander along at one pace. For an hour long album, this can become quite tedious
Si on aime le rock progressif avec de la reverb partout. Under The Pressure est pas mal, le reste sans plus à mon gout.
First track is a masterclass on balancing a track. Lots of competing melodic instruments, but it never gets muddled. It's overall a nice sound; at its best it's a stripped down LCD Soundsystem. Definitely a vibe. But didn't hook me. Just not sure what it was trying to say. Glad I listened, probably won't revisit.
Solid, chill guitar solos. Almost my vibe.
I found the first half more captivating. I found the melancholy (hate using that word as I feel it’s overused) tone to be never boring and meandering to cool places. But it admittedly feels a bit samey by the second half (of maybe it’s because the whole album felt that way and I got bored). Under the pressure, red eyes, and suffering were my fav tracks
I mostly enjoyed the album, but at the end of the day, some of the songs sounded like he was doing his best Bob Dylan impression, which I didn't care for. Where they lack Dylan's poetic flourish, they make up for it with much better instrumentation. The album felt pretty front loaded, as the latter half of the album had several long instrumental sections (e.g.,"The Haunting Idle" and the first two minutes of "In Reverse") that could only be described as ambient music. Favorite track: An Ocean in Between the Waves
Emo Bruce Springsteen. A few legit good songs but way too much empty bits. They probably have an excellent album in them. This wasn't it
Like the vibe and the voice of the leading singer 3/5
Liked the atmosphere
Overall, this was a pretty nice album having in the background, nothing too exciting but it was definitely better that some of the things that we've had on here, because it is chill and it's not a burden when it's playing on the side while you're doing something.
Well produced, it starts strong, then it starts sounding a bit too repetitive. I listened to it a couple of times, there's something in it. It is a good record, some rythm variety here and there. I can listen some Bob Dylan influences, even sounds a bit 80's at some point.
A good album, but suffers from some unnecessarily long tracks
Toch een beetje saai, lijkt elke keer meer te beloven dan dat ik krijg van het album. Maar als het goed is is het echt heel goed.
It was slightly mediocre but nice lush sounds
On dirait les musiques dans les films un peu nul ou quelqu'un déménage et regarde en arrière sa ville natale, un peu cliché mais ca va.
Red Eyes is a banger but the rest were new to me. They're quite pleasant, I'll probably add them to the rotation.
Solid album. Feels like a less avant garde version of Radiohead.
It is okay
Some of these tracks give me a Pink Floyd vibe, others something like a MGMT vibe. It's not unpleasant, and kind of a cool consistent vibe all the way through. Some psychedelia. 3.4/5
This was good. There were a couple times where I thought this was Bruce Springsteen or Paul Simon based on the way the singer was singing. It had a good vibe and I will probably go out and get the album.
The never ending alt rock album. This was fine.
Pretty chill background music album
na momente bro tinks hi bob dilan, na trenutke heri stajls ez it vaz šalu na stranu, sasvim solidno
Cool ambient vibe
Sooooo vibey. Some songs are kinda boring and the singing leaves a lot to be desired but the atmosphere and instrumentals are undeniable.
Enjoyed listening whilst on a run, but scoring lower cos it’s Manc Wanderers favourite band. You can hear how much this band has influenced the sound of Sam Fender
Kunne gitt 4 for første halvdelen. God klang. Bra både de rolige og de med litt mer fart, nesten pausemenymusikk fra gammel fifa. Siste halvdelen ble litt tam, og trekker ned.
Red Eyes is brilliant but the rest is average.
"Shoegaze Springsteen" is a delightful sonic palette. but as a full record? a bit too monochrome.
Really liked most of this one, though there were a few times it strayed towards a Rod Stewart kind of vibe.
I enjoyed this more than expected. It ended up putting me on a really contemplative mood. I don't know how often I'll revisit it, but I'm glad I listened to it.
I've loved Red Eyes since it came out in 2014. I also just enjoy TWOD in general. I think I've listened to this album a handful of times but not in many years. Listening to it in its entirety now is interesting. It's a pretty good album but it's also kind of boring mostly because a lot of the songs sound the same. It's certainly not a bad album but the sum of its parts are not greater than the whole. This wouldn't be an album I'd ever buy the physical copy of and it will mostly just be a couple of songs that get thrown onto a big random playlist I never listen to.
Fair background music, but nothing to really grab the interest of this listener.
Нормальный альбом, но мало песен попали в настроение
Dry, low energy, never really comes alive. Gets an extra star just for red eyes tho
Kändes väldigt i sin samtid.
Decent, soft rock
Low-key rock
Listens: 2 Stand out tracks: The Haunting Idle 80s vibes. A few tracks has vocals that sounded like Bob Dylan. I enjoyed the transition from The Haunting Idle to Burning. Atmospheric, moody qualities.
Springsteen and Dylan should collect royalties for this. It’s fine. Some songs should end a minute or two sooner. It forces some synths in between in an attempt to make it mysterious, when there’s really nothing to be mysterious about. Some songs are comforting that feel familiar to what embodies the late 70’s/early 80’s .
3.5 Stars.
would be a lot better if it was 25% shorter, solid but not much stood out to me, and the things that did got stretched too thin.
gar nicht mal sooo schlecht, kannte ich bisher überhaupt nicht
Interesting. But I don't get all the rave.
I’ve had a hard time getting into these guys. I like some of it but not all of it.
Somewhere between Sting and Tom Petty. Catchy.
3.5 Stars
Wish I liked this as much as I wanted to but under the pressure will always be a favourite
Pheasant background noise, if a little whiny.
My favorite song off the album was "Red Eyes" because it sounded very coming of age. This was a very pleasant listen.
Nice sound - I only knew one song from them before
Lindos temas, lindas voces, letras un poco más interesantes de lo común. Nada muy guau, no sabría que destacar. Nota: 2.8
This answers the question nobody was asking - what if Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen had a kid, and Bob taught the kid to sing and Springsteen taught the kid how to compose music. But really, it feels like there's a line between influence and imitation. I refuse to believe that that is Adam Granduciel's voice, in the same way I refuse to believe that Josh Kizska had never heard Led Zeppelin until he hit high school. I mean it's possibly true, but come on. All that being said, this is a cool meeting of heartland rock sounds, folk, and modern production quality. It was a little hard, at times, to move past the obvious influence/imitation of Bob Dylan, but after a while it was just part of the sound as a whole. Off the bat I thought this could be a five-star venture. As it went on, I started to feel like there wasn't enough variation in the tracks. The more up-tempo tracks all sounded very similar to each other, and the slower ones were boring enough that I couldn't differentiate those much either. In all, it just kind of became two big sounds and I wasn't totally blown away by either. It could've been great, it was just good. Three stars. Standout Tracks: Under the Pressure, Red Eyes, An Ocean in Between the Waves, In Reverse
The War on Drugs makes the best soundscapes, the whole ensemble when it clicks is just so good. Also true live. And under the pressure is a banger. But when they slow down or just meander, soundscapes aren't enough. But thoroughly enjoyable album with some standouts (first two songs especially)
I didn't find it earth shattering but it was a nice discovery. I listened to it through an airport and some metro rides around Milan and it grew on me. High 3, or low 4?
I liked the second half better. This one had to grow on me.
No está mal, sonido alternativo.
Gear: Aür Audio Aurora Artwork: 😓🪟🛏️ Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🌃🌊🔮 Rating: 🩹🩹🩹(🩹)/5
One of my best friends is a War On Drugs diehard, and I wish I were able to access the same level of passion for this music. It's very polished, but I think I wish it extracted the interesting parts of Bruce Springsteen's music (like, say, The Hold Steady) instead of what it settles on. Which is not to say that I don't like this album, because I certainly do, particularly the great one-two punch that starts it off. But it's hard to be too enthusiastic about it.
I can tell there is excellent production, musicianship and heartfelt lyrics on this album. But it would take a real investment to get into it. I listened, admittedly while working, but it just faded into the background for me. I can have a hard time with these indie opuses - if it doesn’t capture me right away, I don’t really feel motivated to immerse myself long enough in its world to care.
Meh, not really for me. I found it to be boring at times.
They defined a signature sound and stuck with it. Fine, because it's a very pleasant sound, but it doesn't keep entertaining me. It escapes me why many people hear Dylan and Springsteen in this.
Still dig it and the drum grooves
I wish there was a way to attribute authors on here but this is from a reviewer post on December 20, 2021 and it sums up my thoughts very well. I didn't hate it, but was hoping for more. "I was excited after reading their extremely pretentious description on Spotify but the result is underwhelming. I was really hoping for some genre bending/blending, instead it's just a dylan/orbison/petty not-quite coverband that delves into sound scapes ala Wilco meets Brian Eno."
Their write up on Spotify is so pretentious, it’s like it was written for Portlandia. So far, it sounds like a Don Henley / Fleetwood Mac cover band. First song absolutely references Boys of Summer by minute 3. It’s cute. But it’s not exactly innovative. A lot of this sounds like Arcade Fire. A lot is repetitive. That doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s easy listening, for the most part. But not new, not essential. Just nice.
Really vibed with the instrumentals on this album, but the lead singer's voice kind of got annoying after awhile. A bit too whiney and talk-like for my taste. I also thought some of the songs went on for too long. But the music produced wonderful psychedelic hints at times and some upbeat feelgood tones at other times that I really enjoyed.
Halfway through I realize this album wasn't released in the 80s. Really put a damper on my enthusiasm. I wanted to hate the whole album but I couldn't. Red Eyes is a banger. I bought the long pretty good to a couple others. And general I didn't mind the excessive length of the songs. It's somehow fit the style. In general though I didn't like the vocals, they sounded like Bob Dylan crossed with Paul Simon and drowned in reverb. Also kind of pissed that they had a whole song of just ephemeral ambience.
Another high note listening experience courtesy of the 1001 album list :) This one has been on my radar to immerse myself in for quite sometime but somehow fell through the cracks, so I was delighted when it came through the generator today as my album to review. I was already familiar with the two opening tracks as well as the reputation this release has for sounding very Dylan-Springsteen-Americana-esque, which it very much dose, however not to the degree that it compromises from its own distinct identity. This is a very cohesive album, each song flowing nicely into the next, contemplative in feel that is pleasantly airy and dreamlike. I put this on while I was driving along rural backgrounds and the scenery complimented these tracks beautifully. 🎧 Classic Track- Under The Pressure 🎧 Hidden Gem- Suffering 🚫 Skip Track- In Reverse The slow burn instrumentals are exquisite albeit extends the runtime of the album overall a tad too long, coming in just over an hour averaging 6 minutes per track. A wonderfully produced indie rock gem that I look forward to revisiting! 🖼️ Album Artwork: ❌- nothing special Click the thumbs up icon below if you enjoyed my take on the album :)
Nice enough
Pretty cool
not bad not special
It’s ok. A few really solid songs and a bunch of meh ones.
I never heard of these guys before. Was good for my background music—overall, it’s too hazy and “on the highway at dusk” for me to reach for often.
It'd been a while since I last listened to Lost In The Dream and glad that it still holds up as a lovely, vibey record. Great for just putting on in the background and letting the music wash over you, but not noticeable enough to ever surprise. I do understand why some people really love this, but I do wonder if it's quite distinct enough to really earn its spot here
Bit of a let down. I really like that 2010s synth Americana sound and this teased it a lot but never really did it, and ultimately it was very one dimensional and vibey
I liked this. It's in no way special, but I enjoyed listening to it, and might listen again.
Not bad
Perfectly fine. Has forever been uninspiring to me. Would much rather listen to a Kurt Vile record.
Good
Fine. Not offensive but a little too chill and just didn't do it for me.
Enjoyed it.
Das war echt überraschend gut Oh 😮 Gut entspannt und abgehend zugleich
Good stuff
I actually vaguely know this album. I had heard a few of their songs before but my buddy scored free tickets to see them right around the time this album came out. He told me, "You have to listen to this 'Under the Pressure' song." So, I did and being a fan of jam bands, I wasn't put off by the runtime. The thing is: it IS a good song but the "jam" is just kind of boring. It doesn't do much. But I still like it. Well, the rest of the album feels the same way. It's enjoyable but just a little uninteresting. I'd definitely listen to it again but it's best as background noise.
OK, a bit depressive and too neil young vocals but the melodies were pretty good and catchy overall
Heartland rock is really cool idk why its been so long for me to listen to this. But really homey and warm album.
This was ok.
I like it's good. Would happily listen to it anytime, although probably wouldn't seek it out myself. Rating: 3
Great album to have in the background while working/thinking/writing.
This is the most three-star album I've heard on this list. Very moody and had good atmosphere.
Alright
Good album, bit slow
3+ Stars (9/15)
Wasn't familiar with, The War On Drugs" and my pre-conceived idea of their sound was different than I thought. It was quieter and more thought provoking than I expected and overall I liked their sound and songs. A bit of a Wilco-vibe and even an Americana feel, so it was comfortable and easy to listen to. I thought though, the songs became a little "samey" as it wore on and it did drag and became less interesting towards the end. Good, but not great (or essential), but worth the time and worth a future dive into their album catalogue.
Day 36: Lost in the Dream - The War on Drugs. War on Drugs album 1/1. I can hear a potential influence coming from 1970's rock music. However, it does not feel as authentic or nostalgic. It's somewhat difficult to remember what happened in the album at all after listening to it. Bruce Springsteen is a significantly more interesting artist form the Heartland rock scene. The music seemed to fade into the background. It's a lot better than some of the mainstream pop music that came out around the same time, but this album still isn't too impressive. I find the selection of new albums in "1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" to be quite arbitrary. There are so many more important albums that came out more recently. Unless I am mistaken, this album only survived in the 2016 edition of "1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". While a lot of great albums suffered the fate of removal from the list purely for being newer albums, I do believe that it was an appropriate action to take for this album. Personal Enjoyment: 3/5. How Much It Belongs Here: 2/5.
Amazing album, inspired thoroughly by Bob Dillon but with the energy of the killers.
-this wasn’t too bad. maybe a bit indie contemporary for my taste, and damnnnn some of those songs could’ve been cut down -some of them were absolutely beautiful and captivating though. i LOVE the lead singer’s voice and the 80s / 90s rock influence -Favorites are Suffering and An Ocean In Between The Waves
I liked this... Easy listening and inoffensive, however, it didn't excite me and is very "background friendly"
I like the style of music and lyrics and could easily listen to 2 or 3 songs in one go, but listening to the whole album in one session was a bit too much
Nice, not really special
This is good, but I like there other stuff more.
a little bob dylan, a little bruce springsteen, honestly not good enough to be either, but hard to fuck up when you’re primarily drawing from two influences like that
It was pretty music but it just didn't really captivate me like I would have liked. Ethereal sounding with a touch of new wave, synth-pop. Light melodies. It was a fine album but didn't really invoke enough emotion from me.
Both this album, and the individual songs on this album, are too long. If something was going to happen in these songs, it would have happened within 3 minutes or so, but nothing ever does. These songs are the equivalent of sitting in a dentist’s waiting room. And when someone lets out a weird high-pitched “WHOow!!” in a dentist’s waiting room, it doesn’t make me think that the dentist’s waiting room is exciting, it just makes me think the guy yelling is nuts.
Not bad, maybe a little tedious. "We have Bob Dylan at home" set to the music of Bruce Springsteen.
Good stuff. A little repetative and boring, but I appreciate the heady Greatful Dead/Folk Rock. If this is something you're interested, I implore you to consider the various other 2010's folk rock revival bands. Shakey Graves, Houndmouth, Lumineers, Mt. Joy, and Dawes. Kudos tho the War on Drugs was featured on a Greatful Dead tribute album in 2016 called "Day of the Dead" they did a brilliant cover of Touch of Grey.
I have never heard of this band, but i liked the album. Seems to be my style of music
for some reason i accidentally gave this a 5 star rating despite never hearing this a day in my life so i'm listening and editing my rating Under The Pressure - 4/5 Red Eyes - 4/5 Suffering - 3/5 An Ocean In Between The Waves - 4/5 Disappearing - 3/5 Eyes To The Wind - 4/5 The Haunting Idle - 1/5 (zzzzz) Burning - 4/5 Lost In The Dream - 4/5 In Reverse - 4/5 Average score: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hij was eigenlijk wel beter, maar gewoon een beetje saai.
It’s like Bryan Adams with a pedalboard
Als Hintergrundmusik war es in Ordnung. Das Album scheint ja eher heavy zu sein, da müsste man nun mehr auf die Lyrics achten um es besser bewerten zu können ggf. So, aber 3 Sterne für mich.
Okayish
Quite enjoyable but I'm not convinced it's essential listening.
Not my taste
The War On Drugs sounds like everyone other than an original band. Coldplay, Springsteen, OK Go, some 80’s yacht rock. It’s a solid album, great musicianship, vocals are decent, songs are bland. Maybe they should have tried drugs? I dunno.
I like it. Good background music to listen to while working or just chilling.
A few individual songs I ADORE, but overall it didn't capture me. I'll probably come back to it though, and may like it more.
Groovy. Enjoyed this one more than I imagined I would.
This was fine. At times it felt between a cross between Bryan Adams and Bob Dylan.
Soft mild vibes, a good part was just instrumental, occasionally there were some mumbly vocals. Good background music, suitable for post-credit nothingness. 3.5 rounded down for length. Stand-out: Suffering
Poor man’s Bruce Springsteen. This band is close to being great, but something is missing. I can’t put my finger on it, but maybe it’s because I could play drums for this band - so basic. The songs just don’t go anywhere. I want to go on a ride and they don’t do it for me.
it was okay. the album all kind of sounded the same. 3 stars
A few really good tracks, but most of it is boring and one dimensional. 3.5 stars
Cool.
Started off strong, and I enjoy the Springsteen vibes, but every song is too long, and there's too much ambient noise filler.
Read their pretentious Spotify profile and try to give this more than a 3
First album after an almost 2 week hiatus has found me unfocused and unserious. I can’t fairly judge this album as I barely functioned as my weekday self/in my weekday routine today. The vibes were cool, I think I’ll circle back at some point because I enjoyed it more than not, but I think it’s a combo of my brain being at 60% and this album being super chill that it blurred together for me. It’s a nice sound, and I think if I had had coffee before the album I could’ve told you which songs or lyrics I liked, but as it is, and within the constraints of the info I retained from listening, it *feels* cool. I liked what I heard and aside from the double sided coin that is a constant and chill vibe, I have no complaints.
It was an enjoyable indie rock album! His voice kind of gave me bob dylan vibes. Nothing super spectacular to make me come back probably.
I actually liked it. Mood music with a few fun melodies. Very dreamlike, per the title.
When your friends ask you to play some background music for the hangout so you put on Lost In The Dream because you’re a chill guy.
I've actually heard of this band prior to starting the list. I was studying at the library in college when I first heard "Red Eyes". I was listening to a random local radio station based out of Portland Oregon on the iHeartRadio website when it came on. I liked it at the time, but never really followed up with the band. They're sound is right up my alley especially at the time. Perfect music to listen to while studying. I'm glad I did a full album, and I'll keep them in the rotation. The War On Drugs has the most mid 2010's sound, and I discovered them in the most mid 2010's way.
I had heard a few from the album before. I found myself really enjoying the album- their sound is mellow and understated but still captivating. I found that sometimes the songs seemed to meld into each other. Still- I found myself enjoying a lot of the songs. Overall- probably 3.5/5, but not quite a 4
This album sounds like when you're at an outdoor stadium concert and it's the opening song and the band really stretches out the intro and there's an anxious lull as you're waiting for the first verse to properly start... that feeling, but extended for 60 minutes. The instrumentation doesn't deliver the spontaneity you'd expect from a jazz band or jam band - The War On Drugs is heartland rock not dissimilar from The Killers albeit with inexplicably greater hype - so the overall sensation is basically akin to edging.
I just wish the vocals were a little louder on some of the tracks.
I really wanted to like this more. The final track shows the potential.
I enjoyed some things on this album like 3 tracks listed below which leaned more into the indie rock side of things. However, the majority of this album more resembled Explosions In The Sky-esque wonderous film score vibes. While that's not always a bad thing (I do love Explosions), I would have preferred the indie side to have been more relied upon. Not an all-around bad record, just meandered a bit for my liking. Notable Tracks: - Red Eyes - Eyes To The Wind - Burning 5/10
Really good album. Easy to put on and play all day.
3/5
Kind of easy listening, doesn't hurt the ears but not memorable either. 3.2
Don’t think I’ve heard this before. I saw them live and felt like every song was somewhat repetitive and dragged out. I felt similarly about the album. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t vary enough to keep things interesting. Burning is a great song still.
Really apt album title.
Reminds me a bit of arcade fire or the national, bands that I feel like I should like more. Beautiful instrumentals but I mostly found them boring. I liked the build-up in some of these songs, but I often just struggled through. 3
A very chill and dreamy alternative rock album that was perfect for an evening drive yesterday, but ultimately one I find quite forgettable as soon as it’s over
Its fine 3/5
Fine as background music
it was okay, rather long
Mélancolique et planant. La cadence de la voix me fait parfois penser à Bob Dylan
Middle of the road album, sounded like 80’s which is not a bad thing. Also vocalist sounds like a more coherent Bob Dylan.
Ah nothing like a slightly better Bob Dylan
eh. Nothing very special. I did like the instrumental bits, track 7 was nice but it all kinda sounded the same. I did like how ethereal it sounded but the tracks have a tendency to just go on and on with no end goal that they're pushing towards they just kind of exist for two unnecessary minutes longer than they should. Also the dude's voice sounded like Bob Dylan on most tracks and sometimes sounded like a mashup of Dylan and Eddie Vedder on "Yellow Ledbetter" cause I could not understand about 90% of what he said. Not a fan of the voice or the unnecessary length but musically it sounded mostly solid.
meh. musically it was nice (enjoyed the piano on several tracks), but it did all blend together. was nice enough as background music. vocally, he reminded me of a hipster Bob Dylan (not a fan).
At first I thought this was another ONE of those ONE albums on this list. It came around though and really has some tracks of some like modern folk(Americana)vibes.
I've listened 3x in the background and I'm not sick of it yet… but it has also not caught my interest once.
Quite nice, especially if you liked U2 in 1983.
Listenable
There's some rousing songs on here but I find it hard to really engage with the music. Still awesome live though.
enjoyed this a decent amount but won’t go back probably
Oh, you know, I feel like Eyes to the Wind is like a beautiful, colourful flag flying on a ship of quiet shadows. It certainly has depth. And waves. Echoes.
Incredible start but it does slowly fade, for me. First 2 tracks are excellent music. :)
This was a chill listen for an early day 1 hour road trip on an overcast Saturday. The first couple tracks were probably the strongest, but it flowed well and was just about the right length. Didn’t save anything to a playlist and most likely won’t revisit, but it was above average. 3.5/5
A little sleepy for me. Put it on a couple times over the weekend but honestly I don’t really remember much. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. Not a very insightful review but perhaps appropriate for how I feel about this. 2.75
Pretty solid but not exceptional. I like how AM recommended a Dad Rock playlist when I started listening. Pretty fitting. Def an enjoyable listen but not a standout so caps out at a 3 for me. 3.25/5
These odes to depression and grief don't do much for me. This one was rather well done though.
I've never really "got" The War On Drugs. They aren't bad just never really clicked with me. I've seen them live at a festival one time and thought they put on a show but I don't really remember anything from them. Anyways 6/10
There is a consistent sound through this album that does make the songs indistinguishable to some extent. However I didn't mind listening to it a few times through while working.
I enjoyed it when I listened to it but by the end of the day I thought I had forgotten to listen to todays album. That is not a good sign.
I’m such a big fan of albums with constant 6+ mins songs compared to just loads of 2min songs
Interesting but overall too much of the reverb. Definitely worth more than one listen. Also I was expecting more war and more drugs.
Fine but a little forgettable
It's a bit long and samey, and he sounds like Bob Dylan
Didn’t hate it
A few good moments, general vibe was ok, nothing that will change the world. Sounded like a lot of other similar equally generic bands from the last few years though.
Very chill music. Enjoyable in the moment, but a little forgettable. His voice kind of reminds me of Bob Dylan, but better?
The more ambient sounding stuff good. The Dylan-esque tracks shite.
Opening up an album with a 9 minute song - what is this, peak Genesis? Alas, it is not (and for that we are all the lesser) but off the top it still emerged as a nice soundscape. Through this first song it's a little same-y by alternating between 2 chord sequences virtually the entire time, but altering the mood with different arrangements helps a lot. It's a well-done track but might have been better served as the/an album closer? A lot of David Gray sound to it which is somewhat troubling in that he has an immediately-accessible sound/voice which got/gets old very fast. So those were thoughts just through said first 9 minutes / first song and the rest of the album kind of held up to my last thought there - it just all doesn't go much further in a lot of ways... It all sounds *nice* - very nice. But it washes over me, and each song is far too long for its own good - these would have been much better-served being 3.5-4 minute songs with a clear chorus - actually a rare album where I think they (he?) should have set a goal of being more commercial in terms of appeal. There's a lot of meandering around a simple/nice idea to the point where suddenly 5 minutes have gone by, I'd forgotten what I was listening to, and wow is it the same song? huh. One specific example: I don't love the repetitive "drum" tracks; especially on track 4 "An Ocean in Between the Waves; this could/should have been much more emotional impact on this song - it's good but without a live drummer it fails for me. Also: it's all a little too Arcade Fire meets Bob Dylan for my tastes. TL;DR: It doesn't feel right giving this a low grade because it's so melodic and a lot of care, effort, and talent was put into it. It just left me wanting a lot more and ended up being not edgy or mysterious enough for me to put it in keeper status. It's a nice listen, but that's as far as I can get behind it. 5/10 3 stars.
Decent but not great
Decent background music
Meh. Too jam-band-y for me.
Depressed Bruce Springsteen.
Loved how long the songs were and had like this big musical bridges that sounded like improvisation.
A little disappointed not gonna lie. Saw the genres indie and rock and got… not what I was expecting. Very soundscape-y, using lots of non instruments. Didn’t care for the vocals too much. 2.5
This is like spacey, somewhere between cocaine high and weed low. If you know who Arcade Fire is and like them, I think you’d like this. I found myself searching for a little more from them as I continued to listen. The album could be a soundtrack for mostly anything in life. Long road trip? Pool Party? Showering? Sex? Cleaning the house? Yep, this will do it. I have no choice cut due to each song just carrying off of the one before it.
6/10…indie / indie rock
3 it was ok. Reminded me of a spacey bob Dylan/dire straits. A little too samey throughout
This is pleasant. It sounds so much like a Bruce Springsteen album and it's easy to get along with. Never heard of this group before this project, but I'm happy this one came across and I had a chance to experience it.
It's ok... typical Indie with a couple of good moments. If I were to listen to it a few more times it might grow on me more. On one listen, it's ok.
Good alternative band, with good music. Voice reminds me of Tom Petty.
Very good rock and roll album. Hard to define to be honest, but it was good! Had a bit of a deep dive, and there’s some excellent stuff by them!
Man did this put me in a mood. Very atmospheric, it has a weird 80's tone to it in places, "An Ocean Between The Waves" has a very Don Henley, Boys of Summer vibe to it, just dark. Interesting album for sure, the song runtimes are on the long side for me, but it kept my interest.
There are times I really like this album and then there are times I think it sounds really off. I do like them as a live band and prefer the live drugs album vs. the studio stuff.
mid album nice soundtrack 👍👍
Very chill I like the instrumental in disappearing
3.4
Hey, who gave Bruce Springsteen all the heroin?
some of it is like listening to a secret Arcade Fire album in an unproblematic way, some of it is like Bob Dylan But Worse.
This was pretty good, though I didn’t really like the singer's voice and the tracks were all similar to one another. It’s somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. I like this kind of melancholy, atmospheric style, and I wouldn’t mind listening again. Favorite track: Red Eyes
Red Eyes
Solid indie rock. Under The Pressure, Red Eyes, and An Ocean In Between The Waves.
Honestly neat album. Probably should give it a relisten
Pleasant, mellow, liquid grooves...but didn't quite grab me ... 3
Didn't know them - few great songs on that album
A pleasant listen but nothing all that remarkable. I love Under The Pressure and Burning but most of this just blends together and a lot of the songs go on for a tad too long. An easy listen but one I don't think I will revisit a lot.
.5. Pleasant general sound
I liked the first half of this album more than the second half.
I really liked it, but at some points it almost sounded like he was trying to imitate Bob Dylan?? Lol??
A love child made from a threeway between Bryan Adams, Dire Straits, and Bruce Springsteen. Each song could've been 2 minutes shorter. 3/5
This is a vibe. It sounds like a lot of things that I like. And yet, I didn't find myself loving this. It moves along at a very slow and deliberate pace, which is also fine. But the music and songs never seem to rise above its downbeat to midtempo heartland rock groove shackles. It's like somebody tacked a bunch of Pink Floyd song intros to a batch of Jackson Browne tracks, and drenched it in a ton of reverb, to drive home the point that you're listening to a very moody album. None of it stuck for me.
I think there’s definitely some highlights to be found here; but the musicality was lacking to the point to where, at times, tracks just sort of blended into each other. It’s a pleasant listen, for sure. I just think this is the kind of album that you’ll find hearing as background music in a music shop, more than something you’ll go out of your way to listen to. So while it’s not a bad LP, it’s also not a very interesting one.
Pleasant enough Favorites: "Red Eyes", "Suffering", "Eyes To The Wind"
What is this exactly? A lot of different sounds. AA Bondy a little. Sort of Springsteeny. Downtempo chill Bryan Adams? It sounds familiar but new in a way (although some of these songs could use a good Springsteen chorus). I want him to have a stronger voice or a little edge to it, but overall I liked the album and may give it another spin. 3.7
A little bit Bob Dylan, a little bit Dire Straits, a little bit surprisingly not for me.
This is a lovely sounding album. Rainy day, plop it on the turn table and stare out the window. Craft beer, table top game with some close friends, no drama. No single song stands out, though. If one come on when shuffle play is enabled you’re not turning it off, but you’re probably not seeking any of them out.
Are The War On Drugs the defining dad rock band of the 2010s?
Some nice, mellow rock music for when you're in your feelings. Not major feelings though. We don't get too sad around here.
Singer reminds me of Tom Petty. The weird part is the song I was thinking the first song sounded like was "red eyes" (in this album) which is actually a WOD song and not Petty's. Enjoyed the sound, but nothing super stood out to me, some of it was very aerial and understated. 3* Highlights: red eyes (probably the most upbeat song in this album), burning (slow start but eventually gets good)
Ok - melodic album. Lots of Springsteen / Neil Young influences, maybe too much.
Bem legal o álbum, viajado. O som é um cruzamento insano de the police, pink floyd, kings of leon, the killers e strokes. Muito bom, agradável. Grata surpresa! Ouviria outros álbuns da banda em busca de mais.
A little more atmospheric than I like, but not horribly so and not in an annoying electronic way. It was okay.
I want to like it more than I do, but some of those songs are lacking originality. One banger can't carry the whole album.
It's OK.
Blandly inoffensive, for the most part. There were stretches of annoying instrumentals, though.
Mindless listening, tal como dicen pop Dylan, bastante normal
Chill alternative album.
Was melancholic and sad but really enjoyable. i liked the first half of the album more. 3.0/5.0
3.5/5
song reco: red eyes ⭐⭐⭐ i got bored listening
Some of the tracks here drone on for too long, without any interesting variation. I feel like I would enjoy some of these songs on their own, but put together as a full experience, it all kinda blends into a reverb soaked heap.
Buen disco de post-rock.
Mellow mood music.
Not bad. Another band that I think is probably fairly talented, but I don't really dig what they're doing. Good background music, sort of "atmospheric" most of the time. Singer sounds Dylan-esque at times, which isn't really a compliment from my perspective.
This is an album I feel like I should like more but don’t. Everything kinda sounds the same and it’s good but drones on a little.
3.5
Like it but... yes, a bit monotonic.
I like this album. I used to put Red Eyes on while running and go faster whenever it picks up. But their most recent album, I Don't Live Here Anymore, just blows this out of the water. The title track has become one of my all time favorite songs. I recommend that album if you like this even a little bit. Oh, their Tiny Desk is really good too.
Hmmh. Nett. Irgendwie besonders. Nichts für much
Just an OK listen. Pretty generic indie style music. I did enjoy the track red eyes. The album could have been 15-20 mins shorter it felt. Probably more background music for me. Rating low 3/5.
Some great songs but slow in other spots
liked this better than i thought i would but still not really my vibe. i probably wouldn’t listen again
Stundtals ganska bra.
Not bad. Funnily enough, they kind of resemble Bob Dylan, though I suspect Bob Dylan has better lyrics.
Under the Pressure - 3.75 Red Eyes - 4 First half was slow, but the second half was enjoyable. A welcome pickup in pacing. Suffering - 2 An Ocean In Between - 4 Disappearing - 3.5 Eyes to the Wind - 3.5 The Haunting Idle - 3 Burning - 3 Lost in the Dream - 3 In Reverse - 3 Overall, the music is great. Vocals are fine, but at times he has that drawn out Bob Dylan voice on certain lines. There are definitely some high and low points; fast and slow. Most songs feel about 2 minutes too long.
Nothing special. Possibly background music?
I'd probably rate 3.5 but this app doesn't let me do half stars. Soooo 3 closer to a 3.5.
Not as exciting as the name would have you believe.
Some dreamy indie pop with shades of Springsteen and Dylan. Nothing amazing.
I kind of like Lost in the Dream
i vibe with the neo-psychedelic americana sound but the songwriting here lacks punch, causing the songs to wind up being a little unremarkable. in 2012 the killers pretty much did this album, replacing the cool neo-psych with pop dramatics and i much prefer that personally. an ocean in between was the stand out here
Good album to chill out to.
Fave song: an ocean between the waves Least fave: disappearing/haunted idle Easy listening, songs kinda blend together. 7/10
I listened to this while cooking and it made a pleasant enough background. Nothing jumped out and grabbed me, rather it was a textured, layered haze that shuffled and chugged along. I heard hints of Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, and Bruce Springsteen at various moments. I could imagine this growing on me with subsequent listens. I wouldn't mind listening to more from them.
Sometimes it has a dire straits feel…It’s kind of all over the place, but I did enjoy it and would listen to it again. I had never heard of the group or the album, but this is very good and worthy of more listens.
This album makes you feel lost in a dream. I almost forgot I was listening to the album. It sounds good and there is nothing wrong with it, but it is not an album you ask to listen to unless you need some background music.
Fine. I saw them perform at a music festival a couple years ago and it was a good concert, but I wasn’t wowed enough to seek out their material afterwards.
I haven’t checked this one out in a while. Really nice songs that sprawl out like the scenery on a road trip, long jams that aren’t too jammy, just ride a particular groove for a while, like kosmische country. My only criticism is it goes longer than my attention span and is pretty samey.
Unremarkable
Never listened to this entire album before now. I like it. Will revisit.
Melancholic and sweet sounding record
really no strong feelings about this one
this album was actually pretty pleasant as background music, but when you tune into any song, they all sound basically the same as the rest. there's really no variety between them, so if you'd like a one-hour background track, this is the album for you. this album sounds like the killers playing nonstop in the background while you're wandering aimlessly in a shopping mall. since this was decently enjoyable but overall uninteresting to me, i'd rate it around a 3.5. sadly, i must round down because all these songs are far too long individually. favorites: under the pressure, red eyes, suffering, an ocean in between the waves, burning
I liked this.
kinda boring
It's atmospheric, just not my jam.
Wtf is that sound at the beginning of Under the Pressure... oh that's the hihats... thought it was Komarov Fall 2.0 Very chill laid back albums. 80s pop influences all over it. Especially eyes to the wind sounds like something from Traveling Wilburys. However the album is a bit too samey and is filled with too much instrumental sections lacking substance, a bit like Queens '13