Hi there, I guess it's been awhile. What momentous occasion you ask warrants such a sudden post?
Why THE STROKES of course.
The Strokes' follow up to Angles, Comedown Machine was officially released yesterday (it's been streaming on Pitchfork for about week). I'm ambivalent on what I feel towards it. It's definitely not the same old Strokes (you know, a la Is This It) but it's for sure interesting to say the least.
Track by track:
"Tap Out" - has some of the familiar Strokes riffs - the whole angular guitar thing (that's very reminiscent of much of Angles), but Casablancas' vocals are notably...well...ahem...high, as in legit FALSETTO. I think it works with the music in a weird/spacey way. It seems to pick up right where Angles left off with "Life Is Simple In The Moonlight".
"All The Time" - Opens with some classic Strokes riffs while Julian Casablancas croons "those that try anything once..." is moderately clever (it seems like a nod to "I'll Try Anything Once") and pretty much follows the formula for any Strokes songs, but seems to lack some of the heart and angst that was front and center in much of Is This It, Room On Fire, and First Impressions of The Earth. It's not a bad song, but it doesn't really seem like anything special either. It has the same slick style and tight guitars, but is like The Strokes on autopilot.
"One Way Trigger" - Bizarre to say the least. It's not incredibly catchy or infectious, but still works and Casablancas' falsetto just EXPLODES on this track. The riffs are also not bad, but it's not memorable and kind of glosses over itself by the time it's done playing.
"Welcome to Japan" - Possibly, my favorite song on the album. Is that bad? It doesn't sound too much like The Strokes in that it's much more subdued and laid back, but somehow captures my attention. It's definitely left field and sounds like something very possibly out of the eighties. (Hah, maybe I've been listening to too much Depeche Mode and Eurthymics?) I think this one gets close to retaining some soul - it reaches this point around 3:20 where I just want the song to IMPLODE after so much build up, but alas, it never really does and fizzles out. Also, Casablancas' vocal harmonies are HEAVENLY, but honestly - I'm not too sure as to what to make of lyrics like "What kind of asshole drives a lotus?".
"80's Comedown Machine" - Left me kind of lost. It has this beautiful motif throughout it, but Casablancas tries to downplay the vocals and half mumbles through it. Kind of forgettable, but not horrible. Just okay.
"50/50" - I found "50/50" rather enjoyable and is the one track that definitely has fire behind it. The deliberately haphazard riffs are unexpected and it's nice to hear some elements of the old Strokes in the song with Casablancas' growl and the fast, clipped guitars.
"Slow Animals" - Is okay slow, but I thought was much better FAST. The riffs were solid and meshed well with Casablancas' vocals, which sort of floated over the top in the song. (They seem much more integral to the song in the fast version)
"Partners In Crime" - was kind of disorienting, but pretty catchy with the heavy synth and vocal harmony over the chorus. It has some really pop-y elements, but makes for a nice, solid track.
"Chances" - the one song on the album which made me go WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot HUH. It's The Strokes as an electronic band. Honestly, I wasn't too into it (But I like electronic music, so what happened?)
"Happy Ending" - Mixes the Strokes angluar riffs and adequate synth to make a good upbeat track. Not sure I like so many effects on the vocals and probably would have been more content without them, but it's not bad. The electronic elements seem to work on "Happy Ending" as embellishments.
"Call It Fate, Call It Karma" - I love, love, love, LOVED. Strange? Sure. But not bad strange, good strange. It doesn't sound like The Strokes really, but is a fitting end to the album tying up all the ideas in it. And to be completely frank, I thought it was a female singing the high parts(and not Casablancas...THAT falsetto), but it helps to create this airy, haunting vibe like you're sitting in some smoky lounge that's about to close and look outside to see fading neon signs flickering and you sigh as you drift into the endless dark....
In summary, Comedown Machine is an ethereal/dreamy album which seems like a distorted version of The Strokes and felt a little empty. As Leonard has so aptly put before, listening to The Strokes is like listening to a song through a can with the angular riffs, tight layers, and of course Casablancas' signature vocals - except Comedown Machine now seems like can-ception. I'm listening to a meta-version of The Strokes in some sort of out of body experience where Julian sings in falsetto, I'm in the eighties, and surrounded by a good amount of synthesizers. I can't say whether I'm wholeheartedly for it or against it yet, but my instincitvely, I think I'm starting to get into this whole out of body experience thing.
A break from real life is sometimes nice.
