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The kings of meticulously constructed, ‘effortless’ cool and the heralded saviours of rock in the early 2000’s with their debut album Is this it?, The Strokes certainly have some giant-sized shoes to fill. Especially seeing as Angles is their first album released in five years and follows the release of two albums which have been critically condemned: ‘disappointing’. However, with the whole band contributing to the writing process, the Strokes have created an album that delivers quirky tunes combining vintage Strokes with more experimental additions.
Their first single from the album, ‘Under the Cover of Darkness’ acts as excellent comfort fodder for Is this it? devotees by returning to old-school Strokes, containing the complexity of a beautifully constructed song whilst appearing to have the spontaneity of a garage jam session. Its strangely charming intro guitar bends, upbeat tempo and tongue in cheek, self referential lyrics: “Everybody’s been singing the same song for ten years”, make it destined to be a feel-good classic. ‘Taken for a Fool’ also reminisces back to classic Strokes with the intricate guitar and lilting punchy vocals distinguishable amongst a unity of noise. Additionally, at times the simple but compelling bass line, that Nikolai Fraiture so excels in, has the potential for me to become just as obsessive as a certain playful bass riff in ‘Is This It?’.
The classic Strokes-sounding songs show that the band can still produce great rock songs, but where they don’t quite stick to this formula is where it gets interesting. From the first rack, ‘Machu Pichu’, the injection of catchy Reggae guitar beats and a hint of bongos instantly transports you away from the expected garage rock. We are never in safe territory for too long as ‘You’re So Right’ quickly emerges with its electronic drone matched against twiddly guitars, heavy beats and synths creating a MGMT-style kaleidoscope of sounds with interesting twists and turns. However this is perhaps too far out of their comfort zone as Casablanca’s singing diminishes into an almost bored robotism, lacking any rock ’n’ roll charisma.
To combat the almost over-perfection of their music, there is often a playfulness with song structure. ‘Call Me Back’ is a more atypical ballad, with restrained vocals and twinkly keyboards speeding up into an otherworldly chorus with unusual layered vocals. “Metabolism” also continues this sinister streak being the album’s equivalent of a dark and moody stranger. Casablanca’s drawling vocals are perfectly layered over the complex backdrop, where the simple guitar and haunting use of synths paints a menacing and dramatic scene.
Whilst Angles may not be as groundbreaking or have the same youthful energy as the Strokes hey-day album, it contains a sparkle of its own. The same quirks and attention to detail that make their music so interesting mean you can imagine every song being a future favourite. The experimentations with genre ease us into a new image for the Strokes that is no longer just a garage rock band but one that has expanded into more progressive terrain. With rumours of a fifth album being planned it will definitely be interesting to see how they next progress.
★★★★☆
Like? Try The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys or Blur.
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