The War on Drugs Talks ‘Live Drugs Again’ and Playing on Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’: ‘It’s Arguably the Coolest Thing I’ve Ever Done’
variety.comEthan Shanfeld Like many of the band’s progenitors, from Bruce Springsteen to Bob Dylan to Tom Petty, you haven’t truly experienced the War on Drugs until you’ve seen them in the flesh.
That’s what makes “Live Drugs Again,” the second live album from the Adam Granduciel-led project, such a gift. With live recordings of newer songs like “Harmonia’s Dream,” “I Don’t Wanna Wait” and “Living Proof,” the album is even better than 2020’s “Live Drugs,” which is itself an electrifying document of one of modern rock’s most consistent acts.
There are transcendent moments on new cuts like “Old Skin” and the decade-old “Burning,” on which Granduciel sings the opening lyrics with a newfound recklessness. “Put your hands tuh-GETHA!” Granduciel growls at the beginning of “I Don’t Live Here Anymore,” turning one of the band’s best songs into a timeless, stadium-worthy anthem.
On “Harmonia’s Dream,” the band floats into a shimmering, two-minute slow burn, until the song settles into a groove that drives toward an explosive climax — and then an even more exciting bridge. “Somebody in the band said it sounds like a UFO is landing,” Granduciel says of the song, which opens the live record.
Read more on variety.com