Stars: 3 / 5
The eagerness that comes over your body when your favorite band announces new music is an unmatched feeling. Will it be a new sound, or perhaps a throwback? Whatever it may be, the anticipation is real. It had me on the edge of my seat for the entire Jimmy Fallon episode, waiting for the live premiere of The War on Drugs’ new single “Ocean of Darkness.”
In 2011, The War on Drugs released its second studio album “Slave Ambient.” Polishing up on their psychedelic indie sound from their first album, the band cemented its sound thus locking in their fanbase. The instruments overshadowing the spacey reverbed vocals from lead singer Adam Granduciel while sad lyrics with a pinch of hopefulness interact interestingly with the patient upbeat instruments. 
Without losing the base of their sound, they released two more albums in 2014 and 2017 with vastly expanded retro sounds and a slightly darker mood. These albums are both highly rated pieces of work. The 2014 album “Lost in the Dream” appeared at No. 97 on Pitchfork’s best 200 albums of 2010’s. 
Vocals from these newer albums do not differ much from the previous work as they give room for the instruments to lead. The lyrics still display dejected scenes while remaining ambiguously hopeful in delivery. Their new single seems to divert from this newer sound.
The possibly unfinished “Ocean of Darkness,” which has yet to be introduced on streaming platforms, feels a lot like “Slave Ambient” which sets the tone for their next album.
Simplicity returns to their music as the transitions are smoother. The song still stands firm on the strong foundation that is the instruments. Again, Granduciel’s soothing yet groggy voice seems to be just another instrument in the background of the drums and strings. Classic lyrics are on display here. “I was tired of waiting, feeling misunderstood,” Granduciel hums under the band.
They deliver a nostalgic War on Drugs experience on this piece. Any longtime War on Drugs fan can appreciate this single, but the basic percussive elements make the song easily digestible for a less familiar audience as well.
While simplicity can be a beautiful thing, it can cost dearly. The simple nature of this song leaves much to be desired. The spontaneous but perfectly placed transitions in pace and rhythm that fans have come to expect are missing from this new single. 
You know all of what the song is going to give you soon after it begins. Putting my admiration for the band aside, this is a fairly average song deserving of a three and a half stars out of five stars rating.
The reason the I gave the song a three-star rating is because of the medium in which I had to consume it. The band went live at the very end of the Jimmy Fallon show. Watching the 60-minute show was not healthy for the level of suspense I had built up. Surviving a nighttime talk show with an online interview format for a rather average song was a letdown, but not every song can be perfect. 
The highly anticipated album has been introduced with the new song “Ocean of Darkness,” and it looks like early 2010’s War on Drugs is making a return. While not entirely exciting for a lead single, this is an easily digestible unpublished piece of work that maintains the core of the band’s sound.