Wagonwheel Blues

Wagonwheel Blues
Studio album by
the War on Drugs
ReleasedJune 19, 2008
Genre
Length43:03
LabelSecretly Canadian
Producer
The War on Drugs chronology
Barrel of Batteries
(2008) 		Wagonwheel Blues
(2008) 		Future Weather
(2010)
Singles from Wagonwheel Blues
  1. "Taking the Farm"
    Released: September 29, 2008

Wagonwheel Blues is the debut album by American indie rock band the War on Drugs, released on June 19, 2008, on Secretly Canadian. Primarily a collaboration between founding members Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile, it is the only studio album to feature contributions from drummer Kyle Lloyd.

Background and recording

Upon the album's release, vocalist and guitarist Adam Granduciel noted that the album's songs "each have their own little time frame spanning over the last six-to-seven years."[1] Granduciel elaborated, "There are sounds on these songs from over eight years of home recording; bits and pieces here and there, dumped from cassettes, MiniDiscs, samplers, rough mixes run through amps and sampled, but most importantly all the performances are fresh and invigorating."[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Drowned in Sound8/10[3]
Pitchfork7.8/10[4]
Tiny Mix Tapes[5]

The album received generally positive reviews.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Adam Granduciel, except where noted

No.TitleMusicLength
1."Arms Like Boulders" 5:20
2."Taking the Farm"Granduciel, Vile4:00
3."Coast Reprise"Granduciel, Vile3:15
4."Buenos Aires Beach" 3:23
5."There Is No Urgency" 6:19
6."A Needle in Your Eye #16" 4:54
7."Reverse the Charges" 3:20
8."Show Me the Coast"Granduciel, Vile10:03
9."Barrel of Batteries" 2:29
Total length:43:03

Personnel

Per the album liner notes:[6]

The War on Drugs

  • Adam Granduciel – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica, drums, organs, samplers, Rhodes, MS16, piano
  • Kurt Vile – electric and acoustic 12-string guitars, lead Jazzmaster, vocals, OB-8, Wurlitzer, trumpet, piano
  • David Hartley – electric bass (1, 2)
  • Kyle Lloyd – drums and percussion (1, 5)

Additional musicians

  • Paul Cobb – left and right drums (2)
  • Ryan Cobb – sweep guitar (2)

Recording personnel

  • Adam Granduciel – producer; recording and mixing (3, 4, 7, 9)
  • Kurt Vile – producer
  • Jeff Zeigler – producer; recording and mixing (6, 8)
  • Ryan Cobb – recording (1, 2, 5); mixing (1)
  • Paul Cobb – recording (1, 2, 5); mixing (1)
  • Brian McTear – mixing (2, 5)
  • Michael Johnson – additional engineering
  • Kyle Lloyd – additional engineering
  • John Martin – amplifier preparation

Artwork

References

  1. ^ a b James (25 June 2008). "[Interview] The War on Drugs". Pop Headwound. Blogspot. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  2. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Wagonwheel Blues – The War on Drugs". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  3. ^ Ubaghs, Charles (6 June 2008). "Album Review: The War On Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  4. ^ Deusner, Stephen M. (10 July 2008). "The War on Drugs: Wagonwheel Blues Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  5. ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (30 September 2008). "The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues". NME. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  6. ^ "The War On Drugs – Wagonwheel Blues (2008, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved 26 August 2024.