Lost in the Dream (2014) – The War on Drugs

Lost in the Dream is the 5th song to appear here from the American band The War on Drugs. This song was the first which hooked me and is the title track from their third studio album released in 2014. The album recording took over 2 years to get right, and you can hear just how methodical they must have been.

In my article I Don’t Live Here Anymore, I posted a video of their ‘Tiny Desk‘ Concert and its very apparent how each band member are masters of their craft and play their instruments with delicate care to achieve the highest quality sound. I consider The War on Drugs the most impressive Americana folk – rock band I have heard in the last decade.

[Verse 1]
Lost in the dream
Or just the silence of a moment?
It’s always hard to tell
Down in the way
They cut it open and they sold it
It’s always hard to tell

[Verse 2]
I saw a soldier man
And he locked his eyes like they were rings
Ooh, but it’s hard, I can’t resist
You may risk it all
You’d risk it all for the memory
But it’s livin’ under your skin
Love’s the key to the things that we see
And don’t mind chasin’
Leave the light on in the yard for me, oh

There aren’t many songs which open with a more breathtaking guitar instrumental than this. Those two years were well – invested even to achieve these first 30 seconds of sound! You know you are listening to the best when you can’t fathom how they accomplished it.

When I was listening to their monumental ‘Pain‘ track I couldn’t help but think that the ‘Americana music’ torch had been passed on from Springsteen to The War on Drugs. They seem to represent the voices and concerns of a Springsteen middle ‘hometown‘ audience. Springsteen was cited as influencers for this album as well as Tom Petty and Bob Dylan.

The recording session of Lost in a Dream (album) was characterised by numerous rewrites. The album’s lyrical themes were influenced by the loneliness and depression (lead singer – songwriter) Adam Granduciel faced after he finished touring. The album cover (image above) features an image of Adam Granduciel standing in front of a window in his home.

Based on 139 year-end top ten lists compiled by Metacritic, Lost in the Dream was the most critically acclaimed album of 2014, appearing on 54 lists and being named first on 13 of them. Paste named Lost in the Dream as their album of the year, writing “from all the muck and malaise that midlife produces, something beautiful and permanent has been revealed—an enduring contribution to the canon.”

Reference:
1. Lost in the Dream – Wikipedia

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