THE WAR ON DRUGS
I Don’t Live Here Anymore (Atlantic)
Five albums in, it seems The War On Drugs have their sound figured out and won’t be changing any time soon. I Don’t Live Here Anymore is a confident offering from the Pennsylvanian rock band, with all their trademarks intact; the influence of Springsteen remains at the foreground of their music, as they opt for an expansive and anthemic soundscape, paying homage to 80s soft-rock ballads.
There are moments of introspection and beauty on tracks like Living Proof and Old Skin, but plenty of euphoric, up-tempo songs which I would love to hear in a huge stadium, filled with devoted fans or on a road trip across a long, dusty road. The band are worthy successors to the legacy of The Boss and it’s most evident on the album’s title track, while Wasted has the potential to become one of their classics. Everything you expect from The War On Drugs, even if there aren’t really any surprises.
words ROSANNA LEWIS