#13 on the 2014 Bacon Top 31
Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs
First we have Warpaint, now we have The War on Drugs. An indie rock band from Philadelphia, The War on Drugs is a throwback to another era of rock and roll. If you grew up in the 80s, when saxophones and keyboards played a bigger role in the sounds that were coming out of the aging classic rock crowd (think: Glenn Frey, Bruce Springsteen), then Lost in the Dream will resonate well.
The War on Drugs has been around for nearly a decade, started in 2005 by Kurt Vile and Adam Granduciel. Vile left the band shortly after the band’s debut album, Wagonwheel Blues, came out in 2008. While Grandunciel has carried on with The War on Drugs, he also helped Vile get his footing, playing as part of Vile’s backing band The Violators through their 2011 release, Smoke Ring for My Halo.
Vile’s records have been good in their own right, but Lost in the Dream is the best thing to come out of either musician in their time. These songs feel less about telling stories, more about evoking a mood, one that would be right at home on a Miami Vice episode. This description may not sounds like I’m being nice, but I do mean that in the best way possible. This is a great album. It’s solid from start to finish, with some hard rocking tunes, and some slower thought pieces with heavy guitar reverb. If you like Dire Straits, Phil Collins, and other 80s classic rock, then you’ll love this album. But if hearing those names doesn’t resonate with you, don’t let that stop you from listening. This album stands on its own, and it is well worth listening to.
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14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods