Musical Thesis: The War on Drugs “Wagonwheel Blues”

To listen to the Musical Thesis Playlist, click here.

At the center of every album is a musical thesis. This thesis can be the driving force behind the album, a theme that interweaves songs together, or a feeling you are left with after the last song plays. With some albums, the thesis is easy to find. On others, it is hidden and requires you to be more than a passive listener. These reviews are not about rating an album. Instead, it is about uncovering a musical thesis.

And so now, now that you realized
That planets are spheres with oil on the inside
And your God is only a catapult
Waiting for the right time to let you go
Into the unknown, just to watch you hold your breath
Yeah and surrender your fortress

It was the summer of 2014. I was listening to my Discovery Weekly playlist on Spotify. “Under the Pressure” from Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs came exploding out my speakers with a rush of sound that made me pay attention. When the song ended, I was hooked like a drug addict. I needed to hear more. I had to uncover everything I could about this rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And, just like every other band I deeply love, I had to dig through their…