The Strokes: Angles

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Whatever happened to The Strokes? The scruffy – albeit slightly manufactured – indie sensibilities used to work for them, with raw instrumentation being complemented by the melodic and laidback vocal delivery. But Angles seems to have sacrificed some of the more uncultured garage leanings for a speculative new sound which doesn’t quite do justice to the musicianship on display.

“Machu Picchu”, the interestingly-named album opener kicks off an unfamiliar note, with the production reminiscent of 80s era pop/rock. And let’s be clear, not a soul wants the 80s to return; they are dead for a reason. But after a disconcerting beginning, the song slips into the indie vibe that the band has so often been praised, or castigated, for. The first two songs retain a semblance of the trademark Strokes song delivery, and the hook filled chorus on “Under Cover of Darkness” is enough for the album to leave a good first impression. But henceforth, things seem to take a turn towards unchartered territory. A distinct resonance from the 80’s seems to shuffle in and out of the mix. A special mention must be made to the production values on the album – gone is the nonchalant, under-processed garage rock sound, and in its place is a smooth and slick product playing around with reverb filled snares and more filling and industrial sounding guitar effects at times. The musicianship is still trademark Strokes as the twin-guitars weave eclectic melodies around hectic drums and the tentative musings of Julian Casablancas render an old-school charm to proceedings when the band allows it.

The Strokes have never been hailed as a particularly innovative band, and have relied more on their solid songwriting abilities to craft a place for themselves in the world of rock music, so it’s a surprise to see them experiment with newer sounds and break out from their comfort zone. However, a song like “Games”, with its heavy 80s synth-music leanings and echoing drums, showcases avenues which the band has previously steered clear of. But the flipside is that the song in itself is not in any way groundbreaking – it remains a newer presentation of a sound that has run its due course over time.

The album has its fair share of moments, and the crafty songwriting and the pleasantly enjoyable guitar playing make this worthy of a few listens. But the underlying themes that the band aims at exploring fleetingly on Angles are best left unexplored, and the band should probably experiment with newer sounds if they remain thus inclined. Mixing the carefree garage rock spirit with the over polished and shiny bling of 80s rock and pop values simply doesn’t work, or at least not in this case, which is probably why the “Machu Picchu”, “Under Cover of Darkness”, and “Taken for a Fool”, all strictly safe songs, remain the highlights on this album.

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