Richard Brabin

Hipster favourites and 80’s throwbacks The War On Drugs are back with another album that will only improve their cache as one of the biggest emerging bands to come out of the alt left. Their sound is not dissimilar to a number of stadium rockers in times of yore and comparisons to Fleetwood Mac and Bruce Springsteen are wholly accurate. But somehow they do just about enough to renovate and reinterpret their slightly dated genre.

Although the recording methodology has become a little more sophisticated, A Deeper Understanding could well be a literal statement for the increasing volume of flicks and brushstrokes from the producers pallet, the music hasn’t particularly evolved or developed from their previous offering. That’s not necessarily a criticism, their particular style is quite easily alluring enough to continue on the same trajectory for a few more records. However, to be truly archetypal, at some stage some risks need to be taken and new avenues explored.

3.5 / 5