Customer Reviews

Angles

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like all of their previous albums, the first listen is a pleasing experience however, after every repeat play of the album brings forward more layers to appreciate. In a nutshell, this album is very hypnotic and is hard not to want more. It may be short(34+min), but there are at least 8 quality songs to choose from.

Hopefully, they'll produce another album soon and build on this one's solid foundation even though the recording/writing process has been stated as dysfunctional. A must buy!

It's been 5 years sine The Strokes last release third album "First Impressions Of Earth" which was met by a mixed reaction from fans and critics alike, despite the fact that it featured some of The Strokes best songs many people were writing The Strokes off. They toured the album in 2006 and after the tour decided to take some time out from each other, as well as work on their own projects. Lead singer Julian released "Phrazes For The Young" in 2009 and guitarist Albert Hammond jr released 2 fine solo albums. In 2010 The Strokes played a few festival dates and announced that an album would follow in 2011. Even though you had to wonder about it as the rumblings were that it was their toughest to album to record with Julian missing for parts of the recording. Guitarist Nick Valensi even said recntly that he would never record another album this way again. There was even problems with producer Joe Chicarelli so much so Albert Hammond Jr took over production duties. So all this should mean that The Strokes would continue on their downward slope! Well wrong because with "Angles" The Strokes have deliverded a great record.

From the moment first single "Under Cover of Darkness" was released for free in Feburary the signs were good, the dual assult of guitarists Hammnd and Valensi sounds great on the track as Julian delivers his trademark vocals, the free release that caused the website to crash for a while due to demand showed there is still a loyal fan base. "You're So Right" which starts out not to unlike "Hard To Explain" until Julian comes in with his vocals repeating "Tell Me What Happened" a few times which is what he does with a few of the lines in this song, there's also a Queens Of The Stone Age like solo and it also features some of Fab Moretti's best drumming it sounds like he's turned into a human drumming machine!. Album opener "Machu Picchu" is a great opener and has a bit of reggae feel about it and an eighties style vocal. For people who complain The Strokes don't experiment they should give the track "Games" a listen as it comes off as a dance track! with a killer sounding bass, yet you still know it's The Strokes.

"Call Me Back" features just casablancas on vocals and valensi on guitar the highlight coming at 1:18 into the song as Casablacas sings "Tell Me, don't Tell Me" over Valensi as he changes the style of guitar playing."Gratisfaction" is just pure Strokes and features a harder rocking edge compared to the rest of the album, it's so good to hear two guitarists playing off each other rather than playing the same riff. The album finishes with "Life Is Simple in the moonlight" which has their sound stamped all over it and has a great chorus and is also the only song produced by Joe Chiccarelli.

Where as "First Impressions Of Earth" was close to one hour in lenght and had 14 tracks, "Angles" clocks in at just under 35 minutes and 10 tracks much like their first two albums(is this it, room on fire) and is the better for it as every song will be familar to you and never outstays it's welcome.

It might have been a rough proccess to write and record and there might have been some in fighting, Lead Singer Casablancas even joked recently that he was jealous that Jack White was now going solo. The one thing that has not sufferded is the music as The Strokes sound as vital now than when they first burst onto the scene ten years ago, lets hope we don't have to wait another 5 years for an album as "Angles" is a great album!

New ideas, new direction that is refreshing. So glad they didn't try to recreate Is This It, which is my least favorite of the four albums.