When The Strokes released “Under Cover of Darkness” — their first single since 2006’s “You Only Live Once” — the outlook was promising. It was a bittersweet message delivered in the form of dueling guitars and was more than capable of lodging itself in the average listener’s head for days at a time. But more importantly, it was proof that whatever The Strokes individually accomplished over their five-year hiatus, they never lost the talented ingenuity that made them a headlining act after just three albums. Angles shows that “Under Cover of Darkness” was just a taste of what’s in store.
The Strokes
Angles
RCA
Though the single is likely the best track on the record, there’s still a goldmine of material to sift through. The initiatory “Machu Picchu” puts guitarist Nick Valensi’s broad array of skills on display — his riffs transition from airy to raw without notice, and complement Julian Casablancas’s lyrics like soothing tonic to his sharp gin. “Taken For A Fool,” written entirely by Valensi, shifts between feelings of animosity and sympathy to provide a well-balanced contrast. “I wish I left you ’cause we never grew up,” laments Casablancas in a regret that mirrors the nostalgia of the song itself.
“Games” employs bells and synthesizers to create a refreshing ambiance. Casablancas’s lines are rather mundane, but this spotlights the originality of the instrumentation. “Two Kinds of Happiness” — the group’s second choice to play on “Saturday Night Live” earlier this month — is bright and optimistic. “Let the soul go up so high,” Casablancas sings, like a dare for the other band members to accept and execute through the music.
The only evidence of rust on Angles comes in the slight incongruity of some of the tracks. For instance, “Gratisfaction” is lively and fun, and has a clear ’70s rock ballad influence. However, “You’re So Right” sounds like a bunch of bored rock stars reunited for the promise of a big payday. The pieces of the track are scattered and unbound, and demonstrate a lack of effort in creating a polished piece of music.
Regardless, the spirit of the album as a whole is a joyous one, and it’s compelling to see what the New York natives can create after being apart for so long.
“This (record) is the first one where we are truly working democratically,” Valensi said in an interview with Rolling Stone, and the effect is perceivable. Angles isn’t Julian Casablancas and The Strokes, but a unification of the entire outfit, resulting in a sound that has contributions from each member.
More than anything, The Strokes’s latest release shows that the band is evolving. They’re moving away from the barrage of hype that was Is This It, but maintaining their sound despite the progression. A new album is apparently already in the works, including material leftover from previous recording sessions. Angles is the first step in The Strokes’s return to form — and the road from here on out can only lead to more critical acclaim.