Lost in the Dream

"beer commercial lead-guitar shit"

Pleasantly surprised by this one.

4.5

war on staying awake

I respect their commitment to a consistent sound - the same simple drum beat throughout most of the songs. It's well produced and, on the extended tracks, quite hypnotic at times.

But when it ended, it was like it never happened. I can't remember anything about it. Sort of like a dream where nothing happened.

I put on a similar vibes album after (Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs), and I like that one a lot more.

Pleasant but dull and derivative, would listen to it hungover trying to fall asleep on the sofa I guess

Listened before? Yes

Thoughts:
- I know the point here is to discover albums I haven't heard yet, but I'm still relieved when the generator gives me something I already know I like.
- Have listened to this a few times, mainly for the song Red Eyes, which I still think is the best here.
- Best places to listen to this would be either in front of a campfire, or driving at night. High in my kitchen was a good substitute though.
- I can't give it a 5 because I do think a lot of the songs go on too long, but I'll definitely be listening to it again.

Favorite track(s): Red Eyes; In Reverse

A pretty good album with a couple of belters on it. Red Eyes in particular is a great tune. For a good while I was thinking this would be a four star but a few of the tracks dragged on a bit too much for my liking, Disappearing felt like it went on for an eternity.

Overall I liked it but I’m unlikely to ever listen to it again in full. On a side note this is now my longest stretch without a five star album, 30 albums ago. Maybe I’m becoming more picky as this goes on lol.

Top Track - Red Eyes

The instrumentals of the first song were jarring for me through my earbuds, so I didn’t have the best first impression. And I also immediately thought, “Whoa, this vocalist sounds like a modern Bob Dylan!”

But then…as the album went on, I fell more and more in love. And was really pulled into it. Each song is so unique and his voice is also uniquely expressed in each one, so, sure, he CAN sound like Bob Dylan but is also so much more and has his own unique sound! I really love “Suffering” and also the instrumental songs. They all just went together so well.

Maybe this is an example of “don’t judge a book by your cover” because I actually really, really ended up loving this. It just kept getting better and better. I went from thinking it would be a 3 or 4, but it is definitely a 5 for me. I want to listen to it again and again.

It sounds like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan had a baby, and that baby had a moderately better voice than either of his parents, and decided he'd like to carve out his own niche in the world so he started listening to pouty indie rock like Arcade Fire and Wilco, but also layered a tiny bit of atmospheric guitar-driven rock like Godspeed, or Mogwai into his inspirations. Sadly, there's also a piece of the baby that decided to rebel, and so every so often he allows country music to seep into his life, causing him to want to play around with sliding guitars and twang, and that really sucks.

Overall, the baby is better than his Dad Bruce who massively sucks, and even though he's not anywhere near as good as Daddy Bob, he's a lot more varied, and I guess that counts for something.

Unimpressed

Dylan and Springsteen inspired, inoffensive but uninspiring, a bit middle of the road. Once it finished, I remembered nothing.

this one is tough. on one hand, it's a nice album. on the other hand, it really hasn't aged well. It doesn't sound bad at all, it just has become kind of meaningless.

First song amazing

The rest was fine

Got boring

Sad

This album is humid as hell. I can smell it. Just a persistent late summer haze. Both nostalgic and melancholic. Loved it. I went years before realizing that the War On Drugs and the Cold War Kids were not the same band. Favorites were Under The Pressure, Red Eyes, An Ocean In Between The Waves, Eyes To The Wind, and Burning.

Give me drugs anyday

Warm jangly guitar pop - somehow with bob dylan singing

I liked it at the time. But it wasn't a great time.

1) Under The Pressure
2) Red Eyes
3) An Ocean In Between The Waves

Least Favourite: Lost In The Dream

In a list that omits Warren Zevon, Lord Huron, Dawes, The Shins, Snow Patrol, Modest Mouse, Grandaddy, Damien Rice, Midlake and a host of others(not all in the same vein as The War On Drugs, I'm just venting a bit) I hear nothing this album contributes that others didn't do better.

I'm not going to hold the shortcomings of this list against this album, but this album did little to either endear or offend, which is what gets a down-the-middle three stars from me.