Adam Granduciel spent over two years in multiple studios working on A Deeper Understanding, The War on Drugs' fourth album and debut for Atlantic. It's the first of a two-record deal that promised complete creative control to Granduciel who took immediate advantage by trying countless combinations of acoustic and electronic sounds, and building up song arrangements only to tear them back down. He also plays roughly half the instruments on this album, in addition to producing and engineering. The effort resulted in extravagant arrangements, even if the band leans slightly away from the explosive anthems found on Lost in the Dream. Tracks weave their way through hazy reverb, and a shimmering, engulfing atmosphere that manages to never overpower its lyrical focus on loneliness, alienation, and private suffering. The music on A Deeper Understanding unfurls gracefully, evoking not only the grittiness and authenticity of classic rock, but also a dreamier, more impalpable allure.
By: Call_of_the_void