Writing a review of something that is the subject of massive promotional hype is somewhat daunting and a bit of a challenge. Over the past year there was many of those bands (Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Interpol, Radiohead) who dropped albums with a preset loftiness that could never be reached and an unattainable expectation to please everyone. Next in the sights is the fourth album from The Strokes, an oft delayed and long overdue effort from a band who gets discounted because of a holier-than-thou cool, indie boy band handsomeness and a upper class/prep school pedigree. The New York quintet is no stranger to high expectations as their debut Is This It? is often cited as one of the best albums of the past decade by journalists both from the UK and the States. Successive LP's Room On Fire and First Impressions Of Earth have sparkling moments, but suffered from comparison and The Strokes conspicuous, shrugging delivery. Being too cool to try is great for an unestablished band but is often met with equaling indifference once they reach mainstream success. Now on Angles, the guys have the perception of an outfit who needs to work at it for the first time in their tenure. Even more worrisome is the fact that from all their earnest effort they have made an album that does not achieve any more than what is found here.
Since they are trying to recapture the magic of Is This It?, it only make sense to bring back some of those proven sounds on Angles. "Machu Picchu" begins with a lazy guitar pluck and Julian Casablancas croon that apes the opener on their debut. The track then takes a surprising path into a muscular riff for the chorus where he asserts he is "just trying to find a mountain he can climb". With the first track, The Strokes have set their sights on the zenith and dig in for the long haul. "Under Cover Of Darkness" got an early free internet release and fanned the hype flames with its inarguable quality. (Read my initial review and download the song for free here.) This is the band at the height of their craft, seamlessly blending a seventies power chord strut, sock hop bass/beat combo and wail from Casablancas that reveals an emotional purpose in his delivery not seen since...well, ever. It is this track that actually reveals The Strokes as a band that could be as vital as they were a decade ago.
The Strokes decided to open up the floodgates and, for better or worse, unleash their latest bouts with nostalgia. Gratefully, the next few tracks are still strong enough to stand ably with Angles' openers. "Two Kinds of Happiness" is a early era Cars homage complete with a skinny-tied guitar and post-disco synth bedrock. The jittery strums continue on "Taken For A Fool" that employs a chorus of high stepping cadence and lyrics ripe for the sing-a-long. The high times finish at "Games" where the new-wave keys take center stage as the bass tiptoes next to another lyrical cry for something better. For the better part of this album, it seems that The Strokes might reach some of those plateaus they stumbled upon as petulant young men. "Call Me Back" is meant to be a diversion featuring plaintive voice and a lonely guitar but ends up a roadblock as Casablancas can't manage to muster any enthusiasm. The Billy Joel wannabe "Gratisfaction" is borderline offensive as guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. seems to be clutching for anything while lifting music from the 70's MOR-era of his musician father. The old-school pilfering occurs again on "Life Is Simple In The Moonlight" where this finishing touch on The Strokes return to greatness meanders under the dull performances of all the band members as if they were exhausted from trying so hard.
Separating a band from its catalog is a tall order in an album review. Although all artists are considered by their body of work, each piece stands alone as its own statement. If Angles was anything but a Strokes album, it may get a lot more love for nailing down their reflections on a laid-back, good times retro sound (Recent band Free Energy is a good example of this.) Alas, they can't escape that they are The Strokes, the guys that revived that infectious, angular punk rock sound and gushed with an overabundance of what the kids call "swag". Now it seems they want their mojo back so bad, they end up looking uncool for their efforts. Just taking a look at the difference between this classic video and this recent undertaking should make things clear. Honestly, Angles is The Strokes best LP since their first one. Yet despite some truly great moments, it is merely of collection of good and bad songs with no common thread, only ambitious attempts and missed opportunities.
Listen to the tracks below and click on the arrows to download the tracks for free. Or, you can stream Angles in its entirety on the worlds ugliest widget here.
Purchase Angles here.
Machu Picchu
Under Cover of Darkness
Taken For A Fool
Slightly disagree with the last paragraph. If this album wasn't the strokes, most people would give it less credit than they are now. At least now people give it 4-5 listens before giving up. There are some (2?) great singles, but no album here.
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