The War on Drugs - Slave Ambient
In response to the The Line of Best Fit’s exclusive album stream of Slave Ambient, I will give a few first reactions.
I first started listening to the War on Drugs after their second EP, Barrel of Batteries, was linked to by one of my favorite music blogs, Berkeley Place. It was a great little EP, with soothing ambient interludes that made for a smooth and enjoyable listening experience. I desperately wanted the full-length album, Wagonwheel Blues, to retain the feel and pure enjoyable relaxation that was so apparent in the EP. For the most part, I was satisfied, but the full album just didn’t capture the energy that was in the EP. Sadly, the band has shifted away from the post-punk roots so apparent “A Needle In Your Eye” and “Arms Like Boulders,” cranked the reverb and blindly rushed into a new album.
In summary, I’m disappointed. Not because of the ambient genre has so little to offer - that is certainly not the case - but because devoting oneself too much to one genre is limiting and is bound to stifle the growth of a band with so much potential. I think this album has the potential to grow the War on Drugs’ audience base, but for me it is stagnant and lacks the energy I’ve come to expect.
I will be giving the album several more listens as the day goes on, but I don’t expect to give a more positive review. If you like what you hear, order the album from Secretly Canadian or Rough Trade.
