In 2001, The Strokes were hailed as the saviors of rock. The band’s debut, This is It, alongside others from the Hives and the Vines, helped reignite the garage rock genre, and rock fans were hopeful for a new dawn. As the Strokes prepared to release their first album after a five-year hiatus, some fans harbored incredibly high hopes that a new Strokes album would be revolutionary enough to jump-start the music business. Angles is here, and although it doesn’t quite live up to fans’ hopes, it’s a fresh sound for the New York City outfit.
Angles is very much an album revolving around a central point, with very heavy new-wave influence. It’s easy to see that each song begins at the same place — a classic Strokes song like “Reptilia” or “Last Nite” for example. The next stage after that seems to be making it sound as uncharacteristic of the band’s past work as possible. The intro to “Two Kinds of Happiness” explores nostalgia for ’80s music with pounding bass and echoing drums before erupting into a spiraling guitar solo and some of the best vocals frontman Julian Casablancas has produced in years.
These experiments aren’t limited to a single method though. “Call Me Back” takes a completely different approach, opting for the band’s interpretation of minimalistic rock. Immediately following that is the upbeat and poppy “Gratisfaction” with optimistic lyrics and a sing-along chorus that’s a departure from standard Strokes fare.
Though the thematic changes might be initially off-putting, fans will still recognize the Strokes in the essence of each song. Casablancas’ famously boozy vocals are just as memorable as they were in the band’s debut, though taking a new direction musically has brought out more in each member. Especially deserving of praise are bassist Nikolai Fraiture and drummer Fab Moretti. Their playing is masterful, remaining composed and restrained throughout the album — a heavy task considering the diversity of the track list.
Though the band’s exodus from basic lo-fi garage is commendable, it doesn’t mean each song is a winner. Several songs maintain the same qualities that made Casablancas’ Phrazes for the Young and First Impressions of Earth, the band’s last release, so frustrating. Insistence on mantra-like repetition of lyrics in “You’re So Right” makes the song completely uninteresting. The same can be said of “Games,” which has ’70s inspired synths that sound more dated than like a reference. Sudden starts and stops, another standby from Phrazes for the Young, are equally frustrating, all but killing any momentum a song may have had going for it.
Angles is an album completely separated from but arbitrarily tied to the Strokes’ past. It’s a fascinating new direction for a band with such a laudable reputation. Although the group could have easily returned to standard lo-fi music, it wouldn’t have stood out from any other lo-fi offerings on the market. It’s aggravating, however, that the same qualities that mired down Phrazes and First Impressions plague this album as well.
