Angles-The Strokes

The long awaited and much anticipated fourth album from the American rock band The Strokes hits shelves March 22nd. The album sees the band venture into previously uncharted waters as they experiment with new instruments all the while attempting to retain their previous style.

Machu Picchu— After the initial crash, the song immediately brings to mind Duran Duran. The surging bass and cool intertwining guitars that complement the almost reggae feel really help to introduce the listener to the album. After a bridge where the melody is oddly reminiscent of ‘Wanna Be Startin Somethin’ by Michael Jackson, the song really starts to shine. “I’m just trying to find, a mountain I can climb,” Casablancas says as the guitars interlock and the background vocal track comes in, just before the intensity ratchets up where Casablancas is letting it rip with a curdling yell. --94/1000

Under Cover Of Darkness— For fans of their previous works, this would be a good starting point. It has a certain charm to it that is evident in some of their earlier music. Albert Hammond Jr.’s guitar mixes so well with what Valensi does, it they almost clash. The keyword there is almost, as the two continually weave in and out of one another with great precision. Under Cover Of Darkness has the bounciness of ‘Last Nite’ but guitar similar to You Only Live Once. There is a nice tempo change that leads into the solo and exits by changing tempo to a higher level than previously seen. This helps the song roll nicely to the next chorus/verse, which is accented by a high leap in vocal range from Casablancas. --88/100

Two Kinds Of Happiness— This song reminds me so much of The Cars, from the steady, driving guitar and bass to the low-key vocals. Once the opening verse busts out, The Strokes enter ‘First Impressions of Earth’ territory, but in the best possibly way; That is, keeping the complexity but adding a new found sense of confidence trying different styles. As with several songs on ‘Angles’, there is a heavy 80’s vibe. Towards the end of this track there is some peeking guitar that chirps it’s way through the rest of the song. The vocals are somewhat inaudible in parts of the song, greatly decreasing the score. The chorus also is not a pretty one, and honestly is so rude it makes me question the thought process of the band by leaving it in there. Not a wise decision. --70/100

You’re So Right— This particular effort seems rather lackluster and out of place on its own but when listened to in context of the album the quality seems to improve. That being said it’s still one of the weaker tracks on the album and shouldn’t be a starting point for those who have never heard the band. The lack of a noticeable melody and the nearly inaudible vocals detract from what could have been a much better song had a few changes been made. That being said, the aggressiveness of the last minute of the song is welcomed, as is the guitar solo. They almost dip into Radiohead territory here, albeit without much success. --65/100

Taken For A Fool—At last more familiarity strikes with The Strokes going back to what made them interesting in the first place. Taken For A Fool breaks in with heavy strumming on the guitar and a matching guitar riff and bass line that give the song an almost funk feel. The chorus has Casablancas wondering “You get taken all the time for a fool, I don’t know why. You’re so gullible but I don’t mind, that’s not the problem. You get taken for a fool all the time, I don’t know why." After an intense section where everyone in the band is simultaneously revving their engines, it explodes into a cool part that sounds like a band in overdrive. --93/100

Games—If this song were to be compared to any of their previous ones it would have to be ‘Electricityscape’, although that doesn’t do this song justice. ‘Games’ sees the band branching out by using synthesizers as well as an organ. “Livin in an empty world” coldly states Casablancas, over a mix of washed out synth and an 80’s drumbeat. After a machine gun like drum fill ‘Games’ has a brief letdown period that sees some barely noticeable guitar take backstage to the synths, but luckily things quickly pick back up. This could potentially be made into a club song due to its driving drumbeat. --77/100

Call Me Back— ‘Call Me Back’ is the most relaxed song on the album, presumably attempting to take on a similar role that ‘Under Control’ had for Room On Fire. This song just never materializes into anything much more than a progressive rock ballad. The lack of drums on this track is alarming considering that with them it would have been much improved. There are a few creepy vocal sections from Casablancas but other than that there isn’t much to talk about. --63/100

Gratisfaction— After hearing the first 5 seconds of this song it becomes apparent The Strokes have been listening to a little Thin Lizzy lately. The combo of drums and guitar really remind me of throwback 70’s guitar albums. One thing of note is the vocals are kind of hard to understand as Casablancas quickly spits out sentences, which wouldn’t be an issue if the vocals weren’t mixed so low. The chorus of “You’re never gonna get my love!” is a welcome addition to the song, and the drumming of Fabrizio is around its best here. --82/100

Metabolism— Another song that would have fit perfectly on First Impressions of Earth, ‘Metabolism’ has some great interlocking guitars that duck around each other yet make the beat. Julian opposes the chugging bass line like he’s tormented. I especially like the verses on this song; the drums are crazy difficult, which is something of a far cry from their earlier albums. Amidst high vocals leaps from a wailing Julian, the song ends with things intensifying to a high level before an abrupt stop. --68/100


Life Is Simple In The Moonlight—The final song on the album helps wind things down after the previous songs’ ferocity. This catchy track personifies what is good about this cd, and this band: Melody and guitar work. As being the only song on the cd exclusively written by Casablancas, his style is on display here. As yet another song that could be placed on Room on Fire, the album closer has a ton of pop sensibility oozing from its pores. “Making fools out of the best of us, making robots of the rest of us,” says Julian with his usual slyness before the song fades out.  --85/100

All in all, an inconsistent album where the lesser songs aren't all that impressive, but the best songs on the album could potentially be on repeat. Considering it took them 5 years to serve this album to the public, I expected a much more even and well baked effort.

Overall score: 78/100