In 2006, the Strokes went on a hiatus. It took them five years to give us this album. The Strokes have been credited for defining their generation with early hits like “Last Night” or “Reptilia.” But Angles is ample proof that the Strokes would rather mimic past rock acts from the ‘70s and ‘80s. That mimicry is so prevalent in Angles that The Strokes could easily be mistaken as a retro cover band. “Games” has heavy synths reminiscent of Roxy Music. “Gratisfaction” has the melodic and distorted guitars similar to Thin Lizzy tunes. The muted guitars and echoes from The Cars are all over “Two Kinds of Happiness.” The opener, “Machu Piccu” is almost indistinguishable from the New Wave reggae-inspired tunes of Joe Jackson. But despite the obvious homage to rock giants from decades ago, the Strokes retain their distinct—and irritating—sound. Like past albums, Angles features more of the trembling guitars and light drums making them sound like it was recorded in a tin can coming out of cheap speakers. And the ever-present distorted microphone makes it sound like frontman Julian Casablancas is singing to us over the telephone. While many of the tunes are certainly worth a listen, they do not stick with you. It drifts aimlessly from one end of the album to the next. This is not their best—even if you are a fan.
Comments
comments