Introduction
I found out about The Strokes through their association with the Arctic Monkeys, with them being some of the most popular acts to come out of the garage/punk revival. So when I listened to their debut This is It ,I was left feeling underwhelmed. It didn’t have the fast guitars, the charm, and quippy vocals that Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not had. So up until now I’ve only really thought of The Strokes as “the band with the disappointing album”, but I decided to give them another chance. I went through their whole discography and this is what I thought.
This Is It
Compared to my first listen, I can definitely say I am a fan, but it’s not perfect. Let’s start with the singing, it’s great. The vocals sound like they are coming out of an amp, an effect the band would keep for the rest of their career. The actual subject matter of the songs work amazingly with the riffs and drums. Julian Casablancas reminisces on many lovers and talks about the regrets, drama, fun, and separations. The guitars compliment this by having a nice light hazy dreamy sound. It sounds like reflecting on cool summer memories. another thing to note is it’s length at only 35 minutes long, it feels breezy. I think that’s my main issue with the project. It’s just to light, it comes and goes, but honestly I kind of think it compliments the album. Some of my favorite tracks are, “The Modern Age”, “Hard to Explain”, and “Soma”. Overall it’s a solid 8.2/10.
Room on Fire
Room On Fire takes on a more rock direction than pop. It’s the opposite of This is It, it’s upfront, in the moment, and loud. The vocals are as good as ever. The subject matter mostly the same but more “I wish I never knew you” and “I’m sorry I couldn’t be good enough”. The guitars are loud sure but also sweet and calm at times. This gives a nice break between louder tracks and makes the album more interesting on further listens. I think the album cover demonstrates the album experience perfectly. A casino is fast, noisy, you have highs, lows, and moments of quiet. Highlights off this album would be “Reptillia” and “You Talk Way To much”. In conclusion, probably my favorite Strokes album, 9.6/10.
First Impressions of Earth
Going in an entirely rock direction this album is interesting. On one hand it’s kinda boring and on the other it’s exciting. I have a lot problems with this album, the biggest one is length. The songs are way to long. They are each 4-5 minutes long, compared to the 2-3 that their previous two featured. The songs just get tiring, Julian is singing about love and drama just twice as drawn out.I feel if the themes were more deep and specific it could work but they drag everything down with them. This makes the songs boring and the guitars get repetitive with it. Though they do a good job of making the songs sound different, I don’t really care cause they are boring! Cut this album by a third and it would be so much better. After all that I still don’t think this album is bad by any means. I really enjoy tracks such as “Juicebox”, “Vision of Division”, and “Ize of the World”. While disappointing after two amazing first albums, it’s nothing too offensive, 7/10.
Angels
Angels is surprisingly great. The songs are not as long as First Impressions of Earth but a bit longer than This Is It. The lyrics shift in a more general direction talking some about the general human experience but still mostly love and drama. Vocals are shaken up a bit with some added feedback, vibration, or echo, but the most impressive part about this album are the guitars. The guitars have a nice flare. The addition of some solos in the songs makes them feel more alive and active than the previous. None of the songs on this album sound the same at all. While this album is more comparable to This It It than any other thus far it’s still far from the same. They do a good job of reinventing their sound as more colorful and punchy. My favorites off this project are “Machu Picchu”, “Life Is Simple Under The Moonlight”, and “Games”. After kinda a departure of their sound on First Impression of Earth it’s nice to see them go back and expand on it, 8.5/10.
Comedown Machine
Comedown Machine the last album that they needed to release to fulfill their five album contract with RCA records, and as a final album for seven years, it’s alright. They take a more slow approach with this album sounding pretty chill but not completely devoid of noise. The guitars glide nicely with the glossy vocals on the slower cuts. While the riveting and frantic vocals go great with the more upbeat tracks. The track list is very consistent but it’s consistent to a fault. No songs particularly catch your attention or cause you to zone out. I think thats the main issue of the album. For an apparent final venture it’s just kinda meh, but putting that aside still pretty good. I find “Welcome to Japan”, “Panthers in Crime”, and”Tap Out” to be pretty great cuts. So overall a fine album with a nice sound, 7.6/10.
The New Abnormal
This is the Stokes album. It has the length of First Impressions of Earth, the intensity of Room on Fire, the calmness of Comedown Machine, the colorful instrumentation of Angels, and the lyricism of This Is It. The vocal range is gorgeous with songs having high peaks and riveting lows. The lyrics are really engaging and provoking, proving that The Strokes can do four to five minute songs well. The album flows beautifully, all the songs sound like they are in the sound scape but different enough to have their individual moments. After seven years of only releasing an EP this is an absolutely amazing comeback album. Some of the best songs of their career are on here such as “Not the Same Anymore”, “Selfless”, and “The Adults Are Talking”. While not my favorite project from them, it’s a close contender, 9/10.
Conclusion
I was wrong about The Strokes. A band I once thought dry and uninteresting has become one of my favorites. If you haven’t listened to any of The Strokes I would strongly suggest you check out any of their works, and when you are listening to music, especially new music, remember to keep an open mind.
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