Three years after the Strokes’ most recent album, “Comedown Machine,” the five-piece band has released a four-song EP. “Future Present Past” is yet another example of the band’s ever-evolving sound and knack for experimentation. It is a strong addition the Strokes’ acclaimed discography.
The EP’s first track, “Drag Queen,” is an emotionally-charged conversation between band-leader Julian Casablancas and himself. He uses two competing voices to tell a sinister tale of two men having a heated discussion about the complexity of life, war and corruption. The track perfectly displays Casablancas’ impressive vocal range and the band’s substantive lyrics which form intriguing-yet-pessimistic social commentary.
“Drag Queen” is truly a unique song for the Strokes. While the album starts with an interesting and fresh sound, the second track, “OBLIVIUS,” sounds much more like the typical garage-rock style fans are used to, with a heavy bassline and dueling guitars. “OBLIVIUS” is quite reminiscent of the band's early work, creating a sharp contrast between the first two tracks on the album.
The song “Threat of Joy” begins with Casablancas speaking — not singing — about a supposed falling-out with a lover. As Casablancas shifts to singing in his grainy, falsetto voice, listeners are taken back to 2001, when the band’s debut album, “Is This It,” was released. The sound is typical of the band. Though the lyrics of “Threat of Joy” are sinister, Casablancas sounds as though he’s singing with a smile on his face the entire time. The result is unexpectedly dark.
The return of the Strokes is cause for much excitement in the rock ‘n’ roll world. “Future Present Past,” as it turns out, perfectly describes the mix of sounds that the band presents. It uses sounds and formulas from its past, presently is an improvement and gives fans reason to anticipate the future, when the full album will come out.
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