Released in 2009, ‘Angles’ remains one of the band’s most divisive records amongst their fanbase and indieheads alike – a response that coincidentally mirrors the tensions and divisions woven into the fabric of the album through what bassist Nick Valensi described as “fractured” and more simply put, “awful”. Despite the rocky conditions the album was born out of, it deserves a genuine applause for housing some of the band's biggest and most infectious hits – 'Under Cover of Darkness', 'Machu Picchu' and 'Taken for a Fool', to name a few – and for injecting a sense of futurism into the band's evolving sound and image. A pivotal record for the band’s evolution – though not one that quite earns a place at the top on its own terms.
5. ‘The New Abnormal’
Ironically named, considering its release amid the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic, their 2020 record ‘The New Abnormal’ feels like a long overdue rebrand for the band – one perhaps born from the years of writing sessions that stretched as far back as 2016. From the wonderfully repeatable opener ‘The Adults Are Talking’ to the dreamy soundscapes of ‘Selfless’, the peppy, pulsating opening keys in ‘Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus’ and ‘Ode to the Mets’, it’s a body of work that ties together everything fans have come to expect from The Strokes, but with a matured delivery. Stripped back vocals, untouched from the autotune that has become so attached to Casablancas’ style since the release of ‘Angles’ and his extracurricular ventures, both solo with The Voidz, and most recently on his ‘Mean Girls’ remix with Charli xcx. If anything, their newest material felt more ‘normal’ in comparison to anything else they’ve released together as a fivesome. Drawing on the well-worn theme of heartache – warranted given Casablancas having recently navigated a divorce at the time of release – the record at time feels like another tale of yearning for the past, leaving more to be desired when it comes to the sharper cynicism and deadpan commentary the band embraced so heavily in their earlier work.
4. ‘First Impressions of Earth’
Gritty, cynical, and perhaps Hammond Jr’s finest guitar work to-date, ‘First Impressions of Earth’ tackles the human condition head on, from the pressures of stardom, the longing to escape, and the deep-rooted, cantankerous insecurities often pushed under the rug. From the sarcasm-laden ‘You Only Live Once’ to the sorrow-soaked ‘On The Other Side’ (“I hate them all, I hate them all / I hate myself for hating them / So I'll drink some more, I love them all / I'll drink even more, I'll hate them even more than I did before”) and hope-inducing ‘Evening Sun’, the album taps into the emotional turbulence and anguish of young adulthood, self-image, and fitting into a world so imperfectly designed. Though not the band's most immediately memorable listen, there's a disarming honesty in the way the album confronts its own emotional immaturity and toxicity, with Casablancas rarely flinching from painting himself as anything other than the difficult one (“My feelings are more important that yours / Oh drop dead, I don’t care, I won’t worry”). It's that ruthless, verging on shocking self-awareness that alone earns it a modest place in their lengthy catalogue.
3. ‘Is This It’
Hitting the charts in 2001, ‘Is This It’ quickly came to not only define a new era of East Coast rock, but also help shape the global rise of unfiltered debauchery and the indie sleaze sub-culture that would characterise the next decade, not to mention the nostalgia cycle now glimmering through our social feeds. Charismatic, on-the-nose, and stripped back in its production, it’s a debut that couldn’t have done anything other than propel the band into superstardom and everlasting appeal. From the title track’s apathetic lyricism (“I can't think 'cause / I'm just way too tired”) to the heartwarmingly ambitious ‘Someday’ (“I'm working so I won't have to try so hard / Tables, they turn sometimes”), it’s a hallmark record that feels like a rite of passage for every twenty-something navigating the highs and lows of youth – or for anyone chasing nostalgia for a New York City life they may never have lived.
2. ‘Comedown Machine’
An album precluded by a media blackout, with no press campaign or live shows, their fifth studio contribution often feels like an overlooked blip in the band’s rich discography, despite being home to some of their most inspired hits to-date. Though a clear homage to new wave and ‘80s electronica, the album doesn’t stray from the quintessential Casablancas lyricism that so often alludes to the complexity of the human experience (“Find a job, find a friend / Find a home, find a dog / Settle down, out of town / Find a dream, shut it down”), making it some of their most nostalgic yet timeless work yet.
Despite not taking the UK charts by storm, with it being the band's first album not to debut within the top three, the record sits in an unusual gap between commercial success and what’s the most authentic Strokes sound. Synthy, deep, retrospective, experimental, witty, fun, dry, and a real earworm, it has every ingredient you crave just thinking of The Strokes, even if the release is often said to have forced the band into a hostility-induced hiatus. From the frantic ‘50/50’ to the jazzy laid back cut ‘Call It Fate, Call It Karma’, ‘Comedown Machine’ remains an underrated gem that deserves a revisit from every self-respecting Strokes fan.
1. ‘Room On Fire’
If a band’s second release is what is to define their future, then ‘Room On Fire’ holds the secret to enduring commercial and cultural success. While their debut carved out their place in the indie rock hall of fame for their unique and flavoursome New York City flare, their succeeding album represented a step further into the conceptual, uncovering the hidden depth in the band’s lyricism and stylistic choices that were itching to emerge in their earliest work. Immediately introduced to some of their most vulnerable and hard-hitting poeticism, ( “I wanna be forgotten / And I don’t want to be reminded”) their second work of art trades the shouty, in-your-face angst of their debut, for something altogether more languid and listenable.
Though best served in order, the album delivers some of The Strokes' most anthemic, chantable hits – from the riff-heavy ‘Reptilia’ and pop-flecked ‘12:51’ to the risqué ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’ and ‘The End Has No End’ – tracks that hold their own anywhere in the band's expansive discography. Pairing fuzzy guitar riffs and saturated vocals with an unpolished garage feel that makes the final output feel perfectly incomplete, ‘Room On Fire’ represents a glimpse in time not just for the band but a generation that hung on every word of their NME heroes like scripture. The most unembellished album in their catalogue? Perhaps. But that’s where its everlasting appeal and relevancy lies.
Ruby Brown
@rubyfrncesca
Image: Leslie Lyons
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