Inspired, perhaps, by the recent success of former bandmate Kurt Vile, Adam Granduciel has joined him in upping the ante. The first War on Drugs album since their fine 2011 breakthrough (Slave Ambient) is constructed from the same DNA – American heartland rock (Springsteen, Petty, Dylan) viewed through a sleek art-rock prism – and the execution is sublime. While Slave Ambient was to all intents and purposes a solo record, Lost in the Dream sounds like the work of a real band, with all the urgency and dynamism that implies. Twice in the first two songs, Granduciel whoops with delight as he is swept along by the roiling music, with good reason. And he's found a song of uncommon beauty in Eyes to the Wind. A moving and magnificent record. thewarondrugs.net
Download: Under the Pressure, Red Eyes, Eyes to the Wind