The War on Drugs
I Don’t Live Here Anymore
(Atlantic Records)
4/5
Modern masters of melancholy The War on Drugs are back with the very War on Drugs-titled I Don’t Live Here Anymore, 10 more reminders of how this band does sad rock better than anyone else right now.
See “Living Proof” for proof of that, the song opening the album with a morose sigh of relief, a sonic letter of resignation; “Harmonia’s Dream” and “Change” then both pick up the pace and provide a bit of hope in the heartland rock, much like their more brisk songs always do. The War on Drugs never provide party music, but they provide music to make you feel like things are going to be good enough after all, music that makes just a bit of the tension in the shoulders go away, which is what songs like these do.
Meanwhile, “Victim” is this album’s “Up All Night,” the weird throwaway rocker that you never really end up throwing away, while the album is very much loaded near the backend, with the title track, “Old Skin,” “Rings Around My Father’s Eyes,” and incredible closer “Occasional Rain” all peak War on Drugs, all rainy days with a bit of blue sky, just perfect sad rock to make you feel good.
Not sure if this album will have as much emotional connection as their last album, 2017’s amazing A Deeper Understanding, but it’s sure trying.