November 03, 2021

Watch The War on Drugs' NPR Tiny Desk Concert

The Philadelphia rockers recently released their new album, 'I Don't Live Here Anymore'

By Michael Tanenbaum
PhillyVoice Staff

NPR Music/YouTube

Adam Granduciel and The War on Drugs perform on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series after the release of their fifth studio album, 'I Don't Live Here Anymore.'

Each new album from Philadelphia rock outfit The War on Drugs reinforces how much musical texture goes into the band's sweeping sound, which marries rhythm and tempo in a way few other artists can achieve with similar flare.

The arrival of "I Don't Live Here Anymore," the band's fifth studio album, has been met with strong praise from critics as a follow-up to 2017's Grammy Award-winning "A Deeper Understanding." With the new album, The War on Drugs takes on themes of transience and shedding the metaphorical skin of unsettling memories.

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It's one thing to see the band live or perform in a controlled setting like a late night TV show. It's another thing to see Adam Granduciel and company in their own space with an impressive stockpile of synths and guitar pedals. That amount of musical equipment goes a long way toward explaining the mix of genres The War on Drugs have finely calibrated into their own unmistakable sound.

This week, the band appeared on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series, which is still featuring remote recordings from artists during the pandemic. The War on Drugs prove again that this is one of the best ways to watch them at work in their own element.

The Tiny Desk Concert features four songs off the band's new album: "I Don't Live Here Anymore," "I Don't Wanna Wait," "Old Skin" and "Change."

The War on Drugs will play a pair of shows at The Met Philadelphia on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28. before rounding out their U.S. tour and heading to Europe next spring.