On April 10, the American rock band The Strokes released their sixth studio album, entitled “The New Abnormal.”
Produced by Rick Rubin, this is their first full-length record in seven years, following up 2013’s “Comedown Machine.” The album is supported by three singles: “At the Door,” “Bad Decisions” and “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus.”
While “The New Abnormal” is somewhat derivative at times in its melodies and chord progressions, it’s still an enjoyable album that manages to push the band’s musical boundaries while keeping their songwriting signatures.
Highlights
1. “At The Door”
There is a synthesizer riff that starts off this song and builds throughout that is absolutely top-notch. Casablancas is able to show off his unique vocals here when his voice is paired with the synth. This whole tune is five minutes and 10 seconds of pure audio bliss.
2. “The Adults Are Talking”
This track is an excellent way to start the album. Steadily building in intensity with a pleasant guitar riff, it blooms into a beautiful climax showcasing Casablancas’ maturing falsetto.
3. “Why Are Sundays So Depressing”
The song starts with an intriguing guitar sound and morphs into a more synthesizer-fueled sound, which is paired with the existing instrumental. This might seem like an odd shift, but it is executed quite well.
Background
The Strokes hail from Manhattan, N.Y. and were formed in 1998. Their current line-up consists of lead singer Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti.
After some performances in New York City, the band sent a demo to Rough Trade Records. That demo led to the Strokes releasing their first extended play, “The Modern Age,” through the record company in 2001. This EP was so successful that it ignited a bidding war between record labels.
“Is This It,” the Strokes’ debut studio album, was released by RCA Records in July of that year.
“Room on Fire” debuted in October 2003, containing the band’s most famous song to date, “Reptilia.”
In 2005, the Strokes release their third album, “First Impressions of Earth;” however, it was not well-received. After touring and playing multiple festival dates, they went on a short hiatus. Two
more albums from the band were released before “The New Abnormal:” “Angles” in 2011 and “Comedown Machine” in 2013.
The Strokes also released another EP, “Future Present Past,” in 2016. This album and its title were officially announced in February 2020 at a Bernie Sanders campaign rally.
This is an album that I really enjoyed, though some of the songs ran longer than they needed to, including “Eternal Summer,” which runs for six minutes and 15 seconds.
I do think that the melodies brought into this album from other songs, like “Dancing with Myself” from Billy Idol as the chorus of this album’s second single and “Bad Decisions,” weaken the tunes they were meant to add to.
“The New Abnormal” definitely has more hits than misses.
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