The War on Drugs
‘I want to blow minds’: Kurt Vile on beating anxiety, hitting arenas and hungering for hits
The one-time carefree Philly stoner has come out of lockdown a changed man – with huge ambitions for his most candid record yet. He reveals how Covid triggered his ‘homecoming’ renaissance
Grayson Haver Currin
18, Apr, 2022 @5:00 AM
The War on Drugs review – wistful, immersive rock turned up to 11
Adam Granduciel and his band take Neil Young, Dylan and Springsteen, add a hint of krautrock and mix a heady cocktail
Kitty Empire
16, Apr, 2022 @1:00 PM
The War on Drugs review – cosmic WTF moments turn arena rock on its head
Their fanbase has grown but the Philadelphia rockers haven’t sold out, mixing dad rock with Krautrock to make an improbable but potent sonic cocktail
Alexis Petridis
13, Apr, 2022 @1:34 PM
The 50 best albums of 2021
And finally – a deserving winner, whose second solo album is a truly relatable, pin-sharp pop classic. We reveal our No 1 album of 2021
Ben Beaumont-Thomas and Laura Snapes
17, Dec, 2021 @6:52 AM
The War on Drugs: I Don’t Live Here Anymore review – songs for cruising endless highways
Recorded in seven studios over three years, Adam Granduciel and co’s latest is a rich, mesmerising affair
Phil Mongredien
31, Oct, 2021 @1:00 PM
The 100 best albums of the 21st century
We polled 45 music writers to rank the definitive LPs of the 21st century so far. Read our countdown of passionate pop, electrifying rock and anthemic rap – and see if you agree
Ben Beaumont-Thomas (1-50); Laura Snapes and April Curtin (51-100)
13, Sep, 2019 @8:00 AM
On my radar: Kurt Vile’s cultural highlights
The singer-songwriter on the joys of John Prine, the black comedy of TV’s Vice Principals and psychedelic pulp fiction
Kathryn Bromwich
07, Oct, 2018 @9:00 AM
Green Man festival review – cosmic rock and communal wonderment
An eclectic bill of everything from psych rock to alt-folk proved again why Green Man is one of the UK’s most beloved festivals
Malcolm Jack
20, Aug, 2018 @1:00 PM
Who will – and should – win the major categories at the Grammys 2018
Can Jay-Z finally dominate the major categories with his 13th album? Will Despacito be snubbed? And could Cardi B beat the boys to the rap crown?
Ben Beaumont-Thomas
26, Jan, 2018 @12:11 PM
The best albums of 2017, No 7: The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
Adam Granduciel’s star shines bright on a record that combines 70s rock sounds, 80s MOR pop and melancholic melodies to glittering effect
Michael Hann
14, Dec, 2017 @6:00 AM
The best albums of 2017: the full list
St Vincent tops our countdown of this year’s most outstanding sounds, from complex rap to moody rock, alt-R&B, inventive grime and more
05, Dec, 2017 @6:00 AM
War on Drugs review – fifty shades of blue
Adam Granduciel’s melancholic rockers combine improvisation with intimacy at their biggest ever UK show
Damien Morris
19, Nov, 2017 @9:00 AM
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