Just Rolled In: The War on Drugs - "Red Eyes" [indie rock / americana]

Tweet

With autumn coming to an end, the cold creeping in, and my supposedly youthful joints tensing up more and more each day, there's nothing better than to hear a song that gets your blood pumping and makes spring seem within reach, a long  reach, that is. The War on Drugs, which is the Philadelphia band started by Kurt Vile and friend Adam Granduciel back in 2005, will be releasing their third album entitled Lost in the Dream March 18 via Secretly Canadian and they have graciously shared the first single with us, "Red Eyes".

Although Vile abandoned The War on Drugs in 2008 to go solo, The War on Drugs didn't necesarilly abandon him. Adam Granduciel continued fronting TWOD but joined him as a guitarist (until 2011) in The Violators, Kurt Vile's on-and-off backing band. When you listen to "Red Eyes", it's hard to ignore the similarity in their music styles. While the energetic, yet ambient single shares the hazy vocal effects, strummy acoustic guitars, and cosmic guitar solos characteristic of Vile's work, it stands on its own thanks to its bright synth lead, bellowing woodwinds, piano key punching, and its overall raw rock-n-roll spirit reminiscent of "The Boss".

Enjoy TWOD's "Red Eyes" below followed by a personal favorite from their excellent 2011 album, Slave Ambient.