Anne WidjajaThe return of The Strokes
March 26th 2011 05:14
Since the release of The Strokes’ third studio album First Impressions of the Earth in 2006, Strokes’ fans everywhere had been dreading the signs of an impending band breakup – 4 of the 5 band members had embarked on successful solo projects, and reuniting for another album was rarely mentioned. On hiatus, Julian Casablancas was also looking cooler than ever. Luckily, we were all saved from any further depressing speculation when The Strokes began touring again in 2010. Rumours of a new album were finally confirmed when fourth album Angles was announced to be released in March.
So what do The Strokes sound like after a five year long hiatus? Angles is the first album which the band has created democratically, instead of following the usual Casablancas led model. The band also scrapped their initial collection of tracks made with producer Joe Chicarelli, and retreated to Albert Hammond Jnr's home studio to re-do the album. Not surprisingly, the result is mixed. The 80s pop synth beats on tracks like ‘Two Kinds of Happiness’ and ‘Games’ are unoriginal and outdated. They'd both fit quite nicely on the soundtrack of a Molly Ringwald movie.
But, there’s also a marked return to the garage rock style circa Is This It on the album. ‘Macchu Pichu’ is a triumphant return to the old, and the delightful ‘Under Cover of Darkness’ sees Casablancas’ vocals hitting new highs, amongst simple layers of coasting drum rhythms and guitar solos. ‘Taken For a Fool’ is also a much needed break from the straight upbeat pop sound of the album. Slicker and edgier than the other tracks, it’s neatly structured with a funk guitar riff and an expertly controlled groove rhythm which peaks victoriously at the chorus. However, there are also some tracks that are disappointingly flat (‘Call Me Back’, ‘Metabolism’) and lack the usual immediate charm of The Strokes’ sound.
The band’s attempt at bringing their sound up to date with the electro pop that’s dominating the airwaves, and the mix of the individual band members’ styles, makes for a disjointed album. Nonetheless, there is room for hope. The band is still trying to find they’re feet again, and when they do, we’ll be intently listening.
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