News of The Strokes' first album in five years was no doubt music to fans' ears, and lovers of the first three Strokes albums will not be disappointed by Angles, the group's latest effort. The New York-based band brings back the upbeat, toe-tapping sound that gained them a following on their critically-acclaimed debut album, 2001's Is This It. Despite its hiatus and multiple side-projects, Angles proves beyond a doubt that The Strokes is as relevant as ever and solidifies its reputation as an indie rock giant.
A lot has happened during the five years - a millennium in the music industry - since The Strokes released its last album, First Impressions of Earth. Most notably, lead singer Julian Casablancas released his exceptionally successful debut solo album, Phrazes for the Young in late 2009. In the many months music fans have spent nestling up to Phrazes, a question lingered: Were The Strokes going to fall by the wayside as Casablancas pursued a solo career?
Angles dispels any fear of that, as the band sounds more cohesive than ever. The album was a collaborative effort among all members of the band, whereas on previous albums, most songs were credited solely to the skill of Casablancas. This change in musical composition manifests itself in multiple ways. Songs such as "Under Cover of Darkness," the album's rollicking first single, incorporate all the elements that make The Strokes' songs so great: guitar-driven hooks, a fast pace and a musical punch that gets your heart pumping. Occasionally, however, there are moments on the album when it becomes clear that there is too much going on without a common thread. When these disjointed moments pop up on Angles, it becomes unclear where the album is heading.
Still, for the most part The Strokes use its multidimensional sound to its advantage. The album shifts into different genres as effortlessly as Is This It did 10 years ago, and The Strokes manage to hit all the bases under the diverse indie umbrella. "Machu Picchu," the first track on the album, cruises to a Talking Heads-like New Wave groove with a guitar-churning chorus that reminds the listener that he's dealing with veteran rockers. Between "You're So Right" delving into electronica and "Life is Simple in the Moonlight" weaving between its verse and its chorus more smoothly than melted chocolate, it's hard to wipe the metaphorical smile from your ears. Where The Strokes' first album asks "Is This It", its most recent seems to answer, "This is it."
In a way, Angles as an album is a metaphor for the band itself: The album is all over the place musically, yet it is still very distinctly The Strokes. Although fans are not getting anything new, more of the same isn't necessarily a bad thing when The Strokes deliver so consistently in its alternative twist on a post-punk identity. Angles shines as one of 2011's albums to beat, and it is more than worthy of its space on the shelf next to its earlier works.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
