Track Review: The War On Drugs – “Come To The City”

[Secretly Canadian; 2011]

Philadelphia-based band The War On Drugs started off with songwriter Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile, but slowly evolved into a fully fledged band, almost a collective. After their debut album Wagonwheel Blues, they have spent 3 years writing and recording their sophomore effort Slave Ambient which is out August 16th on Secretly Canadian.

single “Come To The City” sounds just as stadium-rock friendly as Arcade Fire. With a theatrical introduction, echoing drums and vocals that any frontman would be jealous of, you can’t help but speculate that The War On Drugs are headed for the same commercial success as Arcade Fire. The whole production is tinged with 80s influences, notably Bruce Springsteen along with Dinosaur Jr. which is not surprising as J Mascis and Kurt Vile have toured together earlier this year. All bands aspire to evoke emotions in their music and convey a sense of atmosphere, “Come To The City” is epic and grandiose, designed for fist pumping and those “I’m going to sort my life out” epiphanies.

8/10