By Rose Graner
Entertainment Editor
The Strokes’ latest release, “Angles,” is one of those all-too-common albums resulting from a bold creative move that doesn’t pay off. Although Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas dominated the creative process of all previous Strokes releases, this album was co-written by the entire band.
The risk inherent in suddenly allowing a whole host of new entities (the other members of the Strokes) to come in and muck about with the Strokes’ creative process is obvious. The band had five times as much good material with which to create an album, which became five times as much mediocre or downright painful material that made its way onto the album.
“Angles” gives listeners the impression that if the band were allowed to work together for three or four years without any pressure to actually produce an album, the end product could be pure genius. It is full of complex drumbeats and melodies. The beginning efforts at such a collaboration, though, have proven to be little more than the elevator-muzak equivalent of American post-punk rock.
The main elements that distinguish this release from previous ones are its vocals and its rhythms. Casablancas’ trademark drone remains unchanged, but his voice is much less audible on this release, as though “collaborative project” is code for “push our lead singer to the background.”
The classic Strokes rhythm technique—pair an uncomplex melody with an even simpler rhythm, sit back and watch just how anthemic things can get—falls by the wayside on “Angles.” Instead of one unrelenting drumbeat supported by bass and rhythm guitar, most tracks on “Angles” include simplistic staccato guitar work and pair it with painfully erratic synthesizer accents.
Overall, the album calls to mind the band’s dubious 2006 release “First Impressions of Earth.” It is rhythmically erratic, often very grating, and at many points just plain painful to listen to.
Small nuggets of gold buried within the album (not as many as there were, admittedly, within “First Impressions of Earth”) alleviate somewhat the pain caused by the album’s flaws. “Under Cover of Darkness” is a solid demonstration of songwriting ability enhanced with just enough new flavor (a tropical rhythm and slightly angsty melodies) to be interesting. “Life is Simple in the Moonlight” is, despite its insanely stupid title, unexpectedly complex and well fleshed-out.
Other tracks, though, are extremely unpleasant listening experiences. “You’re So Right” encompasses almost every negative trait of “First Impressions of Earth” and none of the positive ones.
“Call Me Back” is a clear stab at producing a track like the Arctic Monkeys’ “Only Ones Who Know”—soft, slightly lilting guitar work and heavy emphasis on vocals. Where “Only Ones Who Know” is heartfelt enough to bring a grown man (or, okay, at least more than a few teenage girls) to tears, “Call Me Back” is just dull.
“Angles” is a necessary creative step for the Strokes if they are to continue making music as a group, and it does offer small bouts of hope for future releases. Multiple listens could even yield some favorite tracks. When “First Impressions of Earth” debuted, it took most fans a long time to direct anything but criticism toward it, and now “Ask Me Anything” is considered one of the Strokes’ most intelligent tracks both in theme and technical ability.
“Angles” is far and away the least valuable Strokes album to date, but the band definitely isn’t over yet. Die-hard fans should check it out, if for no other reason than to check up on the band’s progress. “Angles” is available on iTunes and wherever music is sold in stores.
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