This week we have roots-rock from The War on Drugs, art-rock from Spellling, and country/folk from Brandi Carlile. Two of the albums have tracks with backing vocals from Brooklyn indie-pop band Lucius. I find two of these albums easier to admire than to full-heartedly embrace, but all three are worthwhile. Which ones? Read on and find out!
The War on Drugs
I Don’t Live Here Anymore
2021, 9/10
Adam Granduciel formed The War on Drugs in Philadelphia in 2003. On their fifth studio album they’ve largely dropped their psychedelic trappings for a series of 1980s heartland rockers. Even though it’s weird to hear gated reverb on a 2021 album, this 1980s retro-rock seems like well-worn territory; it often feels one step away from Don Henley’s ‘The Boys of Summer’.
Granduciel’s songwriting is unpredictable enough to keep things interesting. In particular, he’s fond of unusual phrasing – his vocals melodies don’t emphasise the first beat of the bar as much as most roots rock. He’s able to wrench plenty of moments of resonance – when he sings “I’m a desperate man” on ‘Change’, it’s easy to believe him.
With the gated reverb on the drums, single ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’ evokes 1980s Springsteen – the vocal tags with Lucius on the closing moments are often magical. On the more relaxed material, like ‘Rings Around My Father’s Eyes’, Granduciel recalls Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler. His nasal vocals on ‘Wasted’ are more like Tom Petty. But even though it’s immense fun drawing comparisons with 1980s rockers, Granduciel’s writing is strong enough that he’s comfortably able to step out of the shadow of his forebears.
I Don’t Live Here Anymore is an excellent record, with Granduciel a strong enough writer to ensure it’s not mere pastiche.
Brandi Carlile
In These Silent Days
Carlisle | Clark | |
Belinda | Belinda Carlisle Lead singer of The Go-Gos, solo hits like ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’. | Belinda Clark Former captain of the Australian women’s cricket team. |
Brandy | Brandi Carlile Americana artist, member of The Highwomen. | Brandy Clark American country artist, reviewed here |
2021, 7.5/10
Brandi Carlile has many assets – a powerhouse voice and timeless Americana production from Dave Cobb and Shooter (son of Waylon) Jennings. As always, she’s accompanied by twin brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth, who cowrite all the songs on the album and who have played with Carlile since she was 17,
I don’t always find Carlile’s melodies compelling, and she shone brighter when she worked with writers like Natalie Hemby and Jason Isbell on 2019’s The Highwomen. But based on what I’ve heard of her solo career, she’s a reliable operator. She has a unique dynamic where her powerful voice often delivers introspective material.
Lead-off track ‘Right On Time’ is a case in point, written about Carlile’s lockdown experience in Washington state. She told Entertainment Weekly that: “Babies were born, divorces were had, people died, and there’s something really human about the obstacles that we’ve put in front of ourselves.”
Lucius provide backing vocals on the hookiest song, ‘You and Me on the Rock’, Carlile’s tribute to her wife. Carlile sounds great when she sings outside her normal register on ‘Sinners, Saints & Fools’, but I find the chorus of ‘Broken Horses’ overly reminiscent of George Michael’s ‘Freedom 1990’.
Carlile is always likeable, and there are enough compelling songs to make In These Silent Days a worthwhile listen.
Spellling
The Turning Wheel
2021, 8/10
Spellling is the alter-ego of Tia Cabral, an art-rock musician from Oakland. Her intentionally misspelled stage name is amusing given that, at the time of starting her musical career, she worked as a primary school teacher. She took the name Spellling from an Erykah Badu Tweet, but her music’s much closer to art-rock and chamber-pop. Like Carlile, Spellling’s vocal style provides a unique genre mishmash – her voice has the sultry tone you’d expect from an R&B or soul singer.
The Turning Wheel is Spellling’s third album, and she’s afforded a bigger budget. Where she used synths on 2019’s The Mazy Fly, here she has orchestral colours. The Turning Wheel is somewhat detached and theatrical – it’s easier for me to admire than to love – but there are still some strong musical moments.
The start of the record is particularly strong – ‘Little Deer’ is lovely with the pretty string arrangement pushing it towards 1960s chamber pop, while ‘Always’ is closer to 1970s soul. The record’s divided into two parts – the first six songs are grouped as Above, and the second half-dozen as Below. The second half is often mellower – ‘Boys at School’ rides a pretty piano part over seven minutes, while the piano and 1970s vibes of ‘Revolution’ recall Kate Bush.
If Spellling can add some more emotional heft to accompany her musicality and theatrics, she’ll be a force to reckon with.
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The War on drugs is my favourite new Indy band of the last decade. They have no bad songs.
“Don’t Live Here Anymore” will be up there with “Red Eyes” and “Under the Pressure”
Yeah, I had heard Lost in The Dream before but making myself review the new one helped me to get into them more thoroughly.
I was wondering about war on drugs new album. Guess I better check it out!
Hope you like it!
All good picks. The War on Drugs speak the most to me. Recently, I featured another tune from their new album, “Change,” which I really dig as well. I definitely want to further further check them out.
Brandi Carlile has a great voice. In fact, in December 2017, I featured another tune by her, titled “The Joke “from her previous album “By the Way, I Forgive You” – another strong vocal performance.
Yup, your post helped remind me they had a new one out.
With Carlile, I wish the songwriting was a tiny bit stronger – she has everything else, sincerity, good band, great voice.
The Brandi/Brandy chart was awesome!! Geoff Stephens would be so proud!!
Yes, it’s very Geoff Stephen – I hope he sees it!
If he does, he’ll be proud.
I wish I liked War on Drugs more, but this new one is their best one yet for me. I really like the first few tracks of Lost in the Dream, but then it becomes kind of a lull. This new one is great throughout.
And I tried Spellling, but there’s something about that extremely clean production that I can’t get into. I had the same problem this year with albums from the Weather Station and the Anchoress. I can’t put my finger on it.
I liked the Weather Station record a lot – I don’t think production hurt that. It must be pretty hard to know what to do with Spelllling as a producer – it blurs a lot of different genres.
I like the War On Drugs song and sound…his singing IS familiar in his own way. You are correct in calling 80s…but good 80s to me.
I didn’t mean 1980s in a bad way, but those instrument voicings are very 1980s. But like what you’d hear on a John Mellencamp record, not a Flock of Seagulls record.
Oh me either…you made a good call on it…sorry if I was confusing…I was in agreement with you. When you brought up Bruce…I could hear Tunnel of Love…the sound of it.
Lol “Spellling,” I see what they did there. That WoD album is on my list of Still Need To Buys.
War on Drugs is pretty derivative of 1980s heartland rock, but holds up very well.
I’ve liked the tunes I’ve heard. Derivative is OK!