7 years. It's been 7 years since the last full-length LP from the Strokes. The EP "Future, Present, Past" that came out in 2016 was okay, but everybody just wanted a new album. In 2017, Rick Rubin offered to produce (absolutely legendary guy, produced stuff from Weezer to Adele to Beastie Boys) but the boys turned him DOWN. Or so we thought. But now we know that was just to keep the project on the down-low. In late 2018, they played a show and debuted a new song. A video of it blew up on YouTube. The new song was called "The Adults Are Talking" and it had a riff that seemed reminiscent of their last LP, "Comedown Machine" that came out in 2013, but it also had hints of their debut, "Is This It." At that point, we knew something was coming, but the worst part is we didn't know WHEN. Rumors? Everywhere. Supposed leaks of new songs? All fake. Rubin and the boys were very secretive, meaning there was something special being made here. On New Year's Eve, they played a show at Barclays Center with Mac DeMarco where they debuted another new song, titled "Ode to the Mets." It had more "Is This It" influence than "The Adults are Talking", but instead of a catchy riff and an "on top of the world" chorus, it was way more melancholy and moody. The song was mostly endearing because before the chorus kicks in, Jules (Julian Casablancas, the lead singer, everyone calls him Jules) tells Fab (Fabrizio Moretti, the drums, everyone calls him Fab) "Drums please, Fab", a joke that made its way onto the studio version of the song. No news about the album however. Then, in February 2020, The Strokes were to headline a concert rally for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. The show was sold out in about 5 days. The first thing they showed was a new promo video for ANOTHER new song, titled "At The Door". The song has no drums, no bass, and no guitar. It instead opts for a synth riff and some supplementary vocoded vocals near the bridge. The main focus of the song is Jules' vocals, which seem to have improved a LOT since the last album. Near the end of the concert, a crowd-surfer was escorted off-stage before he could stage dive. Jules, being the eccentric rocker that he is, shouted mid-song at the security guard to "let him jump!" He then invites everybody onstage to dance and they start singing "New York City Cops", a deep cut from 2002 that became a fan-favorite at concerts. Only this time, it's insanely ironic. One guard tried to Jules' attention, but he just said the lyric "New York City cops, they ain't too smart."
Its an absolutely unreal clip, you gotta watch it.
Now obviously, this made headlines. Sadly, they mainly focused on the "anti-cop" part of the song.
Of course, they don't focus on the details of what ACTUALLY happened, but the headlines included were harsh.
It's sad to me because the song is actually a metaphor for drug use, as both Jules and Al (Albert Hammond Jr., the rhythm guitarist, everybody calls him Al) struggled with drug use in the past. Anyways, fans rejoiced, parties were held, and it was another great day for Strokes fans. And now, we finally have it.
Personally, I tried to be as purist as I could be about the album, only listening to the 3 singles they put out before the release. But I gotta tell ya, I listened to those 3 singles religiously. It was so nice just to listen to original stuff from them. Yeah sure, I could listen to The Voidz, Al's solo stuff, and CRX but you can't compare that to them as a group. (The Voidz is Jules' solo project, their two albums are amazing, but might be a little too experimental to casual Strokes fans. Al's solo stuff has hooks for DAYS, and his guitarwork is impeccable. CRX is Nick's side project and I love the Queens of The Stone Age influence on them. Nick's the lead solo guitarist for The Strokes.) I love them as side-projects, but they're just that: side-projects. As much as I listen to them as a replacement for The Strokes as a group, The Strokes are The Strokes. They are so unique, and that's why the copycats can't seem to find the same success. And its also why calling songs or bands "Strokes-y" doesn't help describe the band in question. They started the New York indie rock scene, and this new album seems like the last page of a really fat book that you finally finished. At least for me it is. God, imagine what this album is for other people. Imagine going through an existential crisis while listening to this. Or a mid-life crisis. Or being on LSD. Wild. Also, the cover of the album is actually a painting by Jean-Michael Basquiat. It's called "Bird on Money", another timely
title. The boys haven't commented on why exactly they chose that as the cover, but they somehow got the rights to it, so I mean it could just be a flex.
Here's where I get technical with the album. Skip this if you just want a general overview.
1. "The Adults Are Talking"
I thought this was one of the best album openers they've had since "Macchu Picchu" or "Is This It." It's probably just me, but it sounds too overproduced compared to the original concert videos of it. But it's not a bad thing, it just means it's probably a banger to see live. Other than that, great song. I love the initial riff at the beginning.
2. "Selfless"
This is a great moody song. One of the things that annoy me about popular indie rock/dream pop songs is the overuse of the "wavy" guitar pedal. I didn't like the intro to this song at first for that very reason. But the boys made an emotional soundscape UTILIZING the pedal, no revolving around it. And the guitar solo right after the first couple of verses is phenomenal and fits right in. I might learn it soon.
3. "Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus"
I love the witty title. But I love the opening synth riff even more. This is the catchiest song on the album, having an 80's familiarity around it. I adore it. It's tied with "Eternal Summer" and "Ode to the Mets" as my favorite from the album. It's just easygoing 80's themed "Comedown Machine". I wish I could relive the first time I heard it. I love how Jules sings the lyric "on and on and on and on and on." He sings it in a such a sing-songy way, and it really adds to the 80s vibe. I really like the strumming patterns too, not too much, not too little.
4. "Bad Decisions"
This is probably my least fav from the album. I looked around Apple Music to see if any of the 3 singles were advertised on any playlists and the only single that was advertised was this song. It was on every alternative, rock, indie rock, and new alternative playlist. It's a good song in theory, but it just got ruined for me because of how overplayed it got. A lot of people have been complaining about how it sounds to much like "Dancing with Myself", the song from Billy Idol. I actually don't mind it at all. In fact, it adds even more to the 80's theme of the whole album. "Eternal Summer" does a similar thing, which I'll talk about next. The music video for this song is really good however, having funny references and being framed as an 80's commercial.
5. "Eternal Summer"
Again, one of my fav tracks from this album. The first thing that stands out is Jules' falsetto. He doesn't really use it in most of their discography. The only other song I can think o where he uses it is "One Way Trigger". It's better than "One Way Trigger" here, sounding more smooth and without any vocal hiccups. The buildup is super groovy, with the guitar leading the vocals. The chorus is literally taken from The Psychedelic Furs song "The Ghost in You". Again, a lotta people have been complaining that the song "stole" from them. I actually enjoyed it. I love "The Ghost in You" and the song actually reminds of my childhood, where my mom used to play a lot of Psychedelic Furs stuff. I looked on Spotify and the Furs actually have a playlist called "Furs Nation" and all the songs in it have been influenced or outright worked on by them. This song was on there, and I think the supposed "stealing" is meant in admiration and respect. It actually sounds like a Voidz song in some parts, which makes me like it even more. A standout track from the album for sure.
6. "At The Door"
I first heard this song, as did many others, on YouTube, where it premiered as an actual full-blown music video rather than a concert debut video. I thought the music video was beautiful. The animation used is either extremely influenced or just the same style as the Daft Punk "Interstella 5555" music videos. It is intentionally used along with the synth to evoke nostalgia for the 80s, and it delivers. I don't wanna be that emotional crybaby, but this song is great to cry to. It's moving and poignant.
7. "Why Are Sundays So Depressing"
Despite the seemingly sad title, this is very much a song with an attitude. The verses have a lotta swagger, but the chorus is more thoughtful and very Voidz-influenced. Also, I love the little mini guitar solo when nearing the halfway mark. There's this guitar part in the background near the bridge that reminds me of the riff from the chorus of the song "On Top" by The Killers. The audio panning is also extremely well done, and whenever both headphones match up it is very satisfying. And at the end, when Al says to Fab, "The click was always in you Fab, it was never on.", it's just another nonsense response to nothing, reminding us that there's more behind the music.
8. "Not The Same Anymore"
I love this song for it's lyrics. It has this feeling of climax and catharsis that I can't put my finger on, but it works nevertheless. Some of the lyrics that catch my ear include "You'd make a better window than a door", "What does your sworn enemy regret?", and "You're timing sucks, she went overboard; don't forget you are insured." This is the climax of the album for me, I feel a sense of closure right before the closing track.
9. "Ode to the Mets"
One of the best closing tracks I've ever heard. It starts out innocent enough, a minimalist riff starting by itself, with two other guitars layered on top of it to create this melancholy atmosphere. The bassline kicks in, and you don't know whether it will be an arena-rock anthem, or a sad ballad. Then Jules says "Drums please, Fab," and you know it doesn't matter what type of song it is: it's a Strokes song, plain and simple. The vocals become more passionate and silky with every verse, and the words speak for themselves. The breakdown takes the pitch up a notch and you feel this emotion you can't put your finger on, but you know happy's somewhere mixed in there. It's essentially closure. The closure you've wanted for 7 long years. And it couldn't be better.
Now, the word on the street is that this is a "return to form" for The Strokes. I wholeheartedly disagree. They've aged like fine wine, and have improved upon their sound by stepping back and reevaluating it. The 80s theme, the ever-riffing guitars, and the smooth yet silky vocals have made this album one of their best. This is probably gonna end up being my album of the year (the only competition being the new Killers album coming out soon , or if The Cure, or MGMT make new albums.) This is now one of my new favorite albums, along with their debut, "Is This It". I couldn't have asked for a better return or album. I feel almost emotional talking about this band, because at this point they are veterans. And that's a sad shock, as they have always been at the forefront of indie rock for me. It's also sad to me that I feel so much closure on this album. And although I know the closure is intended to be the closure for the indie rock scene started to the early 2000s, it still feels sad. But it's that sort of empowering sad, kind of like saying "hey, we did this, you can do anything." It's inspiring to me, and I'm sure many other people. And I think that describes The Strokes perfectly. Inspiring.
Thanks for reading. Here's the album link for Spotify, I hope you listen to the album for yourself:
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