I can deal with slightly more restrained drums since the drumming has been getting less and less busy with every album. Maybe Brann is keeping it simpler so he can sing over it live.
That may be part of it. I've heard interviews with him in the last year where he's mentioned he's always gonna be himself (with the crazy fills etc., he loves them and I do too!) BUT he has tried to dial it back some and go for more groove, pocket stuff. I think he's just trying to give songs different styles and avoid always going gonzo
Always love his playing personally though...
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Actually listening back over High Road again it's not that the playing is so restrained for the song as much as the drums are a little buried in the mix. It could just be they wanted it that way on this particular song with those riffs and vocals up front and prominent?
I'm loving it as I had a feeling I would. They always seem to come out of left field with something (the different chorus vocals here) that keep the sound fresh but still sound like them.