[Closed] The War on Drugs - who do they sound like?

Bad Dire Straits Dad music, according to my wife.

Awesome rock soundscape that inexplicably manages to mix some very dated influences into a deep, beautiful album, according to me.

The Bruce influence on one of the tracks is a bit OTT, though, think it's [i]Burning[/i]? Almost like an homage to the Boss.

Definitely puts me in mind of Bruce Springsteen too (not that I'm particularly familiar with his work).

Thing is, it's like a pastiche of a band that did Springsteen pastiche back in the '80s.

They've also got one that sounds like a Chris Rea song. Housemate is a big fan, it just makes me want to listen to Low tbh.

[i]Bad Dire Straits Dad music, according to my wife.[/i]

Spot on. Although what I heard reminded me of Tom Petty.

Just the sort of turgid (yes turgid!) dull, bland, tedious crap that punk came along to destroy in the 70s.

BTW, I disagree (as usual) with whatever CountZero comes up with below (no matter how long his post is..! 😆

BTW, I disagree (as usual) with whatever CountZero comes up with below.

You need to listen to it through wires with good copper molecules*

* [i]and they must be going in the right direction[/i] 😉

A couple of songs on the current CD sound like Dylan

Bad Dire Straits Dad music, according to my wife.

Awesome rock soundscape that inexplicably manages to mix some very dated influences into a deep, beautiful album, according to me.

This is exactly the chat I had with my OH the other day.

Unbelievably the video is worse than the song. Dreadful.

[i]This is exactly the chat I had with my OH the other day.[/i]

I need to meet one of these musically discerning female types!

ElShalimo - Member
A couple of songs on the current CD sound like Dylan

That's what I thought, from the dodgy 80's/90's period...

I need to meet one of these musically discerning female types!

It's just another thing to disagree about

holy reverb batman!

Yup.

Just got to 'Eyes to the Wind'. Dylan through and through. "A cold wind/blowing down my old road". Christ.

They're like a tribute band that have gone off-piste and decided to write songs "in the style of...".

Bad Dire Straits Dad music, according to my wife.

Just the sort of turgid (yes turgid!) dull, bland, tedious crap

It's aimed at the likes of me. And I love it, so you snobs can all go piss off and listen to the Beatles or whatever modern noise you call music.

Nothing to do with snobbery! It's number 2 in the NME albums of the year!
I like old stuff, but I like my old stuff to be old, not regurgitated 😉

It gets easier as the album goes on. Exhibit C:

Rod Stewart - Young Turks

The War on Drugs - Burning

bit of tom petty in there as well ?bit of don henman

I love them, elements of Springsteen, Knopfler/Dire Straits and the Waterboys which are all massive positives for me.

Same here, it's a great album.
I think the negative comments above are from upset Stereophonics and Coldplay fans

Although what I heard reminded me of Tom Petty.

That's just what I was gonna say, sounds like Tom Petty covering Springsteen.

I like it.

Top stuff, really like TWOD, off to see them in Feb

They've been around a while it seems and their advent seems to have coincided with a rise int he American Prison population...

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1971? Quite ahead of their time really then.. 🙂

I bought the album based on awards/top of the polls from 6Music and Drowned In Sound.

First listen I hated it. Second listen I thought Dire straits/Springsteen fanbois. But the more I listened to it the more it grew on me.

I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan, or that I love it. It's not terrible though.

Top album of last year, not a chance. I'm not sure what is though.

[i]I'm not sure what is though[/i]

I find it's the one I liked best. Probably the same for you 😉

I'm not sure what is though.

Out of all the albums last year,I kept coming back to ..Wild Beasts - Present Tense

..and that's probably because I really liked The Associates ,and Hayden Thorpe reminds me of Billy Mack 🙂

I didn't like it at all for the first couple of listens (found it beyond bland) but a couple of the songs have grown on me and have made my tracksOf2014 playlist. By no means would it make my list of top albums.

Album of the year for me would be probable be Spoon - They Want My Soul. Closely followed by Ex Hex, Jungle and Todd Terje.

St Vincent the best for me, in the bestest sense of the word. Not my favourite, or most played, but in terms of just standing back and saying wow! There's someone working on a different level to others.

Lost in the Dream might be my favourite, as it goes - think it's great 🙂

These and the Future Islands were 2 of my more favourable finds last year.

I got the Future Islands CD too but it goes all Charles Aznavour/80s synth hybrid in the middle. Some good songs but some lemons on it too

I'm not sure to be honest about it, the lyrics on "Red Eyes" are just mumbled to me, not sure what the video was about either.

Some of the album is ok / goodish, but other bits are too drawn out for me.

Not many albums released these days without a few fillers/lemons included

[url= http://sonance.bandcamp.com/album/blackflower ]Album of the year[/url]

The self released Blackflower by Sonance. Perfect mix of disgusting and beautiful.

Don Henley and Bruce Hornsbyish.

Discovered them recently, really great album, doesn't matter to me they sound like Bruce, he's great as well

[i]Not many albums released [s]these days[/s][/i] ever[i] without a few fillers/lemons included[/i]

FTFY

Good record. I like it a lot. Some of his guitar playing is clapton-esque. This video is worth a watch if you like them:

Elevated the song for me.

They also pass my test for a proper band in being a fairly ugly bunch.

I'll give War on Drugs another go - I suspect like others, there will be a couple of songs that will grow on me, but it's not really my thang.

Wild Beasts - Present Tense

Unbelievably the video is worse than the song. Dreadful.

Yes, reminds me of Bruce Hornsby too.

Love the album, even though its not my usual sort of thing.

Never heard of them until I saw them live this summer, I am a fan.

I think the negative comments above are from upset Stereophonics and Coldplay fans

Or perhaps Mark Kozelek (aka Sun Kil Moon) fans.

He apparently has said 'I hate that beer commercial lead guitar shit' about them and introduced a song as being called 'war on drugs can suck my ****ing dick'.

I suspect he's not really a fan...

I think the negative comments above are from upset Stereophonics and Coldplay fans

Wow, missed that! The most clueless comment on here. I suspect War on Drugs appeal to Coldplay and Stereophonics fans looking for something new to add to their collection of bland.

The most clueless comment until you posted that 🙄

Cant have a thread about a band without the music industry experts wading in.

Glad to oblige 😆

[i]Cant have a thread about a band without [s]the music industry experts[/s] people with opinions[/i] wading in.

FTFY

Properly love this album - easily the most played of last year, was on a loop in the van for weeks, literally. 8)

DezB - it's horses for courses but yours is a non-runner.

They probably wouldn't thank me for saying so but there's a fair bit of Sigue Sigue Sputnik in that track .

First one has the drum pattern from 'I'm on fire' doesn't it?

Yep, lots of Bruce Hornsby, echoey Strat, 80's Blue Oyster Cult in there too.

S'all right, but I prefer the originals - apart from Bruce Hornsby, who blew goats.

DezB - Member

Nothing to do with snobbery!

You?!?!
I have to say they the thought had not entertained the merest possibility of perhaps,if it's fine later, taking a stroll across my tiny mind.

I like old stuff, but I like my old stuff to be old, not regurgitated

I wonder how many truly original albums or bands there've been?
Can't be many, can there?

Being influenced by good stuff is ok.

E street band... All the time.

Modest mouse and Hope Of The States too.

Derivative but good.

I bought my brother it for christmas - he asked for it.
We reckoned on Dylan, Ryan Adams, The cars , the boss ,and dire straits as influences. Our dad would have loved it ,so it was ok with several canadian clubs on board. 😀

Yay. Someone has finally said "derivative". I wasn't sure how to say how much I hate them, and was going to go with "derivative".

(I actually like them, which is no surprise given the opinions of the usual suspects. Btw, they sound nothing like Dire Straits, though I can understand how that's an easy insult to come up with. Sounds more considered than "derivative" too.)

deadlydarcy - Member
Btw, they sound nothing like Dire Straits, though I can understand how that's an easy insult to come up with

I'd see it as a compliment - I love Dire Straits, the first album in particular.
🙂

Interesting to hear musicians reinterpreting their parent's record collections:
Pastiches can be a bit naff (I think they often miss the point of what made the original great in the first place) but a homage done with genuine love for the music can be excellent.

I was serious about the originality comment btw - I don't really think there has ever been that much that could genuinely described as new.

Dylan was my first impression.

I think your Mick Jagger was better. Like he was in the room.