The War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
(Atlantic)

On 2014’s Lost In The Dream, The War on Drugs swung for the fences with Bruce-like bombasity and a slack, but broadened, wistfulness channeled through stadium-size guitar solos and rhythms. And did they ever connect. Adam Granduciel’s massive sound found an unlikely audience who could appreciate swoonful indie rock and the polished pop of the today’s musical scope. 
Now signed to Atlantic Records, The War on Drugs further remove themselves from their Highway 61 era, stripped-down and ramshackled early records for a victory lap around ye olde stadium. But that’s not to say that Granduciel hasn’t succeeded with A Deeper Understanding. The songs are able to carry the weight of the expansive arrangements as thick synths, twinkling pianos, endless guitars and (2!) drum kits pounding away. The sense of longing and emotional resonance is primed well and the band knows how to accentuate Granduciel’s heavy but measured lyrics. And it all comes through quite nicely. “Up All Night” harnesses a propulsive rhythm while recalling Tom Petty and Phil Collins for its rock-centered focus and shimmering instrumentation. He takes on a late-night, cosmic ballad with “Strangest Thing” and long-form epics with the 11-minute sprawl of “Thinking Of A Place.”
If Lost In The Dream was a major record for you, there’s no chance of disappointment when you cash-out with A Deeper Understanding. (Dom)
Check out a track here.