With the exception of a few iconic tracks from the glory days of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, I would rarely say that a song over 10 minutes is a good idea. But Thinking Of A Place is a perfect exception. Clocking in at 11:10, The War On Drugs’ track is the longest of their discography (though really not by that much --- music trends have shown that songs are shortening in recent years and we can certainly thank The War On Drugs for helping to keep that average up).
Three years after the band’s breakthrough 2014 album Lost In The Dream, Thinking Of A Place was released as their ‘comeback’ in April 2017. It’s a song that epically holds its own as a single but also seamlessly blends into its album, Deeper in Understanding, released four months later. The entire album is superb and Thinking Of A Place is among its masterpieces.
The song's grand, hypnotic quality necessitates its length. It's a journey in progress told with euphoric style --- take the imagery of the lyrics:
“I’m moving through the dark / of a long black night
Just moving with the moon / and the light it shines
And I’m thinking of a place / and it feels so very real”
Band frontman Adam Granduciel sings these lines hazily over meditative synths and the same repeating two-chord (major-minor) guitar. I especially love the distant harmonica solos scattered throughout. Just beautiful.
But the ‘journey’ of the song doesn’t come primarily from its lyrics; it's the uninterrupted pace that really makes it feel like a constantly forward-moving motion. The drums and base intertwine to set the rhythm – a sort of psychedelic pulse --- and most importantly: there’s no grand climax to any of it. A journey without end.
The one time the song temporarily breathes in is around 4:30: the drums disappear and the synths and a lone acoustic guitar gently take over the instrumental melody. And then finally the moment of release comes when the established groove of the song suddenly snaps back into motion a minute and a half later. It makes for a nice reawakening of sorts.
From what I've heard of The War On Drugs' discography (still a lot to explore), this is a style the band uses often --- denying the drums their typical role of announcing a crescendo. Granduciel told Vice in 2017: “I don’t like drums dictating the song; like when you hear a fill and then you know the chorus is coming up.” It’s a bit unintuitive, but the constancy of the songs’ motion actually allows them a degree of unpredictability. It’s a structural technique similar to house or techno music.
Admittedly, it’s also this characteristic that makes Deeper In Understanding a bit repetitive when listened to as background music, with a lot of the songs blending into one another (Thinking Of A Place included). But if you listen closely, you can see that Granduciel’s arrangements are carefully designed to keep you alert. You never know when a defining riff might be introduced or where the song might lead.
Takeaway: don’t listen to Thinking Of A Place if you’re in a rush. It’s worth the patience.
Happy listening!
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