The Philadelphia band, The War On Drugs, have released the third single from their upcoming album, A Deeper Understanding. While the first single, “Holding On”, was full of vivid, glaring instrumentation, this new single takes a more low key approach. The instruments are quieter throughout the song and are soaked with reverb to create a concrete wall of sound. This allows the listener to step back and focus on Adam Granduciel’s performance. The lyrics present a melancholic relationship that Granduciel has with some manifestation of pain. Whether it be a lover who comes and goes or a crippled old man, Granduciel wants the pain to give him “a deeper understanding of who [he is]”. Since the instrumentation takes a backseat role, the song can seem bland at times. This is an issue I have with many The War On Drugs songs. The instrumentation is simply not emphasized enough to catch the listener’s ear. This results in a lot of long tracks that drone on and on. “Pain” isn’t to that point of dull instrumentation, but it still leaves room for improvement. Hopefully, the album will include more tracks like “Holding On” where the instrumentation is key.

Happy Jamming!

Listen to the Single on Spotify:

Listen to the Single on Apple Music: