The Strokes launch tide of experimentation on Comedown Machine

It's no secret The Strokes have been on a downward spiral since the release of their landmark 2001 debut, Is This It. The recording sessions for their previous album, 2011's Angles, didn't do much to reverse the trend. Singer Julian Casablancas detached himself from the band and forced key songwriting duties onto other members of the band.

His intent was to develop a more democratic process, although all it really created was political gridlock. Having to write and record their parts without a singer present gave the band fits, and led guitarist Nick Valensi to complain bitterly about the whole affair.

If nothing else, the sessions for Comedown Machine seem to have served as a necessary panacea. The songs here have more room to breathe, and feel more organic. The 80s pop pastiche of Angles still serves as a motivating influence, but it no longer feels like they're trying to cram it in to places it doesn't fit. Rather, Comedown Machine sees the band experimenting with a variety of different sounds and approaches, which prevents repetition, a problem they didn't always do the best job of addressing on previous albums.

Big, catchy choruses are one thing that most songs have in common with one another. "Welcome to Japan" is hot and sweaty, sounding like the soundtrack to pedaling an exercise bike in the 80s. "All the Time," meanwhile, could have been Room on Fire material, and should satisfy fans of their old sound.

Following "All the Time," however, is a striking change of pace with "One Way Trigger," a shimmering keyboard focused track which is carried by Casablancas's high, near falsetto vocal. It's a good song, but it's jarring moving into this track from "All the Time," and is the most striking example of the album's lack of cohesion. Elsewhere, they pull off a tearjerker on "80s Comedown Machine," which is accented by a beautiful string section. This proceeds directly into the raucous rocker "50/50," the most frenetic song they've done since "Juicebox."

Along the way, there are more attempts to refine their 80s sound. "Chances" features subtle electronic keyboard backing, but the tune is much too tepid too be a major winner. More successful is album opener "Tap Out," which breathes much needed life into the formula first explored on Angles. The verse melody sounds similar to Yeasayer, another band well known for an 80s pop affinity, but they make the song their own with the main hook. One can easily picture Casablancas wearing his dark shades, capturing the rich feel of the post punk tradition.

In terms of progression, however, closer "Call it Fate Call it Karma," may be the band's most progressive song to date. It presents itself as a period piece; the soft sound of the piano, coupled with the intentionally crackly background hiss brings to mind a lounge jazz piece from the 20s or 30s. Julian's soft croon puts the finishing touches on the image The Strokes paint in your mind.

Comedown Machine expands upon the direction first hinted at on Angles, but is more successful in virtually every way. The album's main caveat is that it tends to lack cohesion or a sense of a central theme; it sounds more like a hodgepodge collection of songs by a band still striving to reinvent their sound. Yet there are more than a few quality cuts here that span a diverse spectrum, and that's enough to override its flow issues.

Now over a decade removed from the cries of saviors of rock and roll, no one is expecting the Strokes to compare to the Almighty, but Comedown Machine should suit anyone well who are just looking for the band to put out something respectable.

Score: 82/100
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See also: The Strokes - Angles review

Everybody's been singing the same song for 10 years, but none do it like The Strokes

It seems like there's no way to say something about the Strokes these days without bringing up their debut album.

A decade after its release, it's still tough to deny that it is the benchmark for which everything Julian Casablancas and crew do, and it's still arguable that the New York quintet are still yet to produce an effort capable of topping Is This It.

I can still remember hearing "Last Nite" on the radio when that album first launched. The tag the media placed on the band back then was that they were a new school, modern band who were trying to emulate the sounds of old rock and roll, a sound that had largely been lost and discarded.

It was a neat experiment, but I didn't see where they could go with it long term. As cool as "Last Nite" was, I simply wrote The Strokes off as being a gimmick.

Now, ten years later here I am, spilling ink over these very same Strokes, so I guess the joke's on me.

You've got to admit it's been a hell of a ride for these guys. Whispers about these guys being saviors of rock have long dissapated, but the fact remains The Strokes are one of the few great rock bands remaining whose creative vision remains largely unblemished by the corrupting hand of major label influence (knock on wood).

And given that The White Stripes recently went up in smoke, this statement becomes even more true.

The Strokes are also one of a select few bands that have managed to change and evolve over the years without considerably straying from the roots and/or pissing off a large portion of their fanbase. In this digital age in which information travels at warp speed, that's a hell of an accomplishment in itself.

So the newest Strokes record, Angles, breaks a five year absence since the release of their last full length, 2006's First Impressions of Earth.   

Angles rests its hat on three main elements: the off kilter but alluring melodies that can only be delivered by a singer like Casablancas, the always eclectic and innovative play of guitarist Nick Valensi, and a jangly 80s pop vibe.

If the faux retro 80s style album cover doesn't clue you in on that, expect to be made fully aware of it when the bouncy bassline and airy chords of "Machu Piccu" kick in. When Casablancas's vocal crackles through the microphone, you can just picture him sporting a giant boombox on his shoudler, with frizzy hair, and wearing his sunglasses at night.

But then you get to the chorus, where Valensi lets loose with a shredding guitar riff which reminds you that The Strokes do know how to rock.

The first three tracks are easily the standouts. "Under Cover of Darkness," with its soaring chorus and a sweet solo, could easily be one of the top songs of the year. "Two Kinds of Happiness" features some truly breathtaking moments, most notably the uplifting guitar riff following each chorus.

The rest of the album is still good, but can't quite measure up to the stellar 1-2-3 opening punch. The melodies are certainly unqiue, but not all of them click; it seems sometimes as if they're just throwing things against a wall to see what sticks and what doesn't.

"Call Me Back" moves by at a middling pace and doesn't really go anywhere, and "Games" doesn't do much better. But "Gratisfaction" kicks things back into high gear with an energetic tune that sounds like it could have been culled directly from 70s FM pop radio.

"Taken for a Fool" is a highlight with its sense of groove and attitude, while "You're So Right" buzzes by at warp speed. And "Life is Simple in the Moonlight" is the perfect parting for these Strokes, and perhaps does the best job of conjuring an Is This It type of vibe.

The Strokes are one of those bands where you never know exactly what to expect from them, but it usually turns out to be at least solid. Angles will sometimes make you question whether you're in New York City or Vice City, but does a great job of showing that the guys know how to loosen up.

Although not flawless, The Strokes have once again delivered another statement in rock and should be able to satisfy fans who have eagerly awaited this record for the last five years. It's been a long wait.

Score: 80/100