Review: War On Drug’s “Slave Ambient”

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On their latest release, Philadelphia’s The War On Drugs continues to experiment with a mixture of ambient soundscapes and traditional rock songwriting. This time around, the two genres overlap more than on previous releases, and the result is the hypnotic, sometimes tedious Slave Ambient.

Without knowing how to approach it, this album can be puzzling, to say the least. Expecting the scrappy, slightly crooked Americana of their previous release, Wagonwheel Blues, I was a bit put off during my first listen of Ambient, which is more repetitive, distant, atmospheric. The War On Drugs channel Springsteen and Dylan as well as anyone, but their focus on Ambient (implicit in the album’s title) is more sonic-centric. The sticky part is, much of Wagonwheel’s accessibility is still there, albeit flatter, more stretched out, sometimes buried under the sheets of noise that make repeated listens rewarding. However, its indecisive position on the fence between alternative folk rock and the more abstract elements of shoegaze and ambient risks ostracizing fans of both genres, and can be frustrating to listen to, without really knowing what to listen for. While some might describe Ambient as “patient” or “meditative,” others might just say “boring,” and I am willing to give both camps the benefit of the doubt. But to complain that these songs don’t go anywhere or do anything (which is true, for the most part) would seem to be missing the point. The War On Drugs is pushing the envelope here, and the repetition and tedium are all part of the experiment.

This experimentation, though, has its ups and downs: The passage from “Your Love Is Calling My Name,” through the ambient noise of “The Animator” and into the triumphant “Come to the City” is spectacular, deftly navigating the transition between noisy soundscapes and good ol’ fashioned rock n’ roll. On the other hand, the instrumental “City Reprise” feels unnecessary and forced. The single, “Baby Missiles,” is the album’s most immediate and upbeat track.

mp3 – The War On Drugs – Baby Missles

mp3 – The War On Drugs – Come To The City

The War On Drugs will play in Milwaukee at Club Garibaldi on August 27, supported by Caveman and local act Surgeons In Heat.

previously:

SeizureChicken + BattleCry Present: War On Drugs, Caveman, and Surgeons in Heat

War On Drugs – “Comin’ Through”

Loose Ends Mixtape