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Live Drugs Image
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 7 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 9 Ratings

  • Summary: The live album from the Philadelphia-based indie rock band led by Adam Granduciel features 10 songs recorded from the past six years of touring.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. 90
    LIVE DRUGS with minimal audience feedback and crystal clear, at times thunderous, audio is a thrilling representation of the band, at its back-rows filling finest. It’s a terrific substitute for those who haven’t caught them on stage, or have and yearn to relive the experience.
  2. Nov 25, 2020
    85
    Just like The War on Drugs catalogue, from start to finish LIVE DRUGS is obscenely gorgeous while remaining true to their unfettered artistry.
  3. Mojo
    Nov 20, 2020
    80
    Live albums often give you the gist of the jam, inviting you to imagine studio details; The War On Drugs invert that expectation, letting the rest sparkle beneath stage lights. [Jan 2021, p.86]
  4. Uncut
    Nov 20, 2020
    80
    Authoritatively cements the status of Granduciel's Philadelphia-based sextet as the best American rock band to emerge in the 2010s. [Jan 2021, p.33]
  5. Classic Rock Magazine
    Dec 8, 2020
    80
    Bottom line is that live they sound life-affirming. [Jan 2021, p.85]
  6. Nov 23, 2020
    78
    Granduciel is a much different vocalist in the live setting than he is on record: more punctuated, less delicate, and even a little less melodic. His soloing, meanwhile, consistently sounds more articulated as he rips into these songs on a tailwind of spontaneous inspiration.
  7. Nov 20, 2020
    70
    Live Drugs isn't essential for casual listeners, but for fans (especially those who have been following as the band's sound grew more complex) it's another testament to their unassuming but powerful songwriting.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Nov 27, 2020
    9
    This was probably one of the best live albums I’ve listened to so far. Lead guitarist and singer Adam Granduciel exemplifies the guitar soundThis was probably one of the best live albums I’ve listened to so far. Lead guitarist and singer Adam Granduciel exemplifies the guitar sound of the 2010s but he also references music from the past 70s and 80s rock sound. The bass of David Heartly, keyboards of Anthony LaMarca and Robbie Bennett bring together the eliquant aesthetics of each song in the album. The underestimated saxophone of Jon Natchez is superb in An Ocean Between The Waves, Red Eyes and Eyes to the Wind but it’s Charlie Hall’s drum that steals the show. Even though, the music may have drawn out sorry, it’s a captivating and uplifting album to hear during a time of suffering and pain. Expand