The Strokes
Angles

"Angles" arrives a full 5 years after the underrated "First Impressions Of Earth", and for the American band The Strokes, it represents a musically very important step.

First of all, because this eagerly awaited fourth studio effort comes after various internal disputes, an almost breakup, several solo albums, and the list goes on (reports indicate that even today the situation isn't the best), then because the anticipation among fans and mere onlookers was growing out of all proportion.

So how does this new work sound? Let's immediately clarify that the rumors suggesting a return to the acclaimed sounds of the much-praised debut "Is This It?" are only partially confirmed; certainly a valid claim in the first, stunning single "Under Cover Of Darkness" (a rare case where the first release is also the best song of the batch), or in other tracks like "Taken For A Fool", "Gratisfaction" or the closing track "Life Is Simple In The Moonlight" (the latter being appreciated live even before the album's release, and the only track retained from the failed sessions with producer Joe Chiccarelli).

In other cases, the band's old Television-oriented soul clashes with new and until now unexplored sound elements by Casablancas and company; illustrative of this is the opener "Macchu Picchu", where a typically Strokesian melodic line crashes against a very eighties backdrop; but also "Two Kinds Of Happiness", despite a frantic refrain still within the band's realm, presents a verse with an unusually dark and pounding progression (strongly hinting at new wave).

In some cases, they allow themselves to let go (as much as a band not exactly innovative like The Strokes can do) and the results are encouraging; see "You're So Right", which sails between the Radiohead of "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" and the aforementioned new wave,  the dark city club atmosphere of "Games" (really good) or the minimalism of "Call Me Back".

In conclusion, a good comeback, not on the level of the now distant debut (and perhaps not even of the previous work), but the disruption of the hegemony imposed by Casablancas nevertheless brought a breath of fresh air to the offering of the now-experienced American band.

Welcome back.

Key Tracks: "Under Cover Of Darkness", "Games", "Call Me Back"