After five years of silence, solo projects, and anticipation, The Strokes have reunited and reemerged with Angles, their first release since 2006’s First Impressions of Earth. During the interim, the band had become characterized by tensions between frontman Julian Casablancas and his bandmates, who accused him of being a creative tyrant. Angles was a joint attempt to mollify these tensions. It was the first of The Strokes’ albums to be composed collectively. But if you’re a superfan, don’t get too excited—Angles will disappoint anyone looking for more of the Strokes’s trademark electronic dance vibes. This is a newer, more experienced band, trying to develop a new sound. Unfortunately, not even The Strokes themselves seem to know what kind of sound that is, and as a result, Angles fits together about as well as the average “Best of” CD, creating a disjointed, though not entirely unenjoyable, mix.
With its members hitting their thirties, The Strokes have evolved from fast-paced dance music into something more subdued, better suited for background listening than a high-energy pregame or stress-release dance party. In fact, beyond the outrageously fun “Under the Cover of Darkness,” the album lacks anything beyond a subtle nod to the band’s past. “Darkness” easily stands alone as one of their best songs, combining emotive vocals with high energy and a fast pace—a masterfully-made synthesis of everything fans look for in a Strokes song.
Several songs are tied for second-best. “Taken For A Fool” is another standout, driven by a beat so defined that it’s hard not to bob along. “Call Me Back” offers a hypnotic potion of the album’s best melancholy elements, while “Gratisfaction” uses vocal melodies—a rarity in previous Strokes songs—to add a welcome musicality to the garage-synth sounds of the rest of the album.
But aside from these tracks, the rest of the album is a jumble of forgettable filler—tracks like the dull, inoffensive album closer “Life is Simple in the Moonlight.” None are awful, but all are sub par for a band that has shown itself capable of much mor. This makes for a real letdown, given how exciting “Darkness” was when it was released in advance of the record. Angles’s clearest message is that while The Strokes remain an extremely talented group, they still don’t have enough control over their internal politics to successfully create the mature, solemn sound they strive for.
Voice’s Choices: “Under the Cover of Darkness,” “Taken for a Fool”
