Pitchfork

The War on Drugs are from Philadelphia, but they don't sound especially urban. Maybe it's the titles: "Taking the Farm" is a track from a forthcoming full-length debut, Wagonwheel Blues. Judging by the songs's midrange-heavy jangle and the way singer Adam Granduciel draws out certain vowels, it sounds like this farm may once have been host to a woman named Maggie. Granduciel sounds hopped-up and desperate to get his point across because he's not sure how much time he has left: "Top and bottom, well, it's all the same to me/ 'til all my breathing air is gone," he sings. The band joins him to punctuate with screams of "Hey!" at key moments, as the song barrels forward with a relentless forward motion. Heading into town or away from it, it's hard to tell, but it's definitely fun being along for the ride.

 

 

MP3:> The War on Drugs: "Taking the Farm"

[from Wagonwheel Blues; due 06/17/08 on Secretly Canadian]