The Strokes - The New Abnormal

[Abnormal Palm]

Terrible title if that's what you come here to say. Bye now. I've not listened to The Strokes really for fifteen years or something but some of these songs are great if you like The Strokes. If you don't, big deal, tell 2004 who gives a fuck. If you did like the first two albums there are some really good melodies here with some slightly Voidz-y production or very much like Instant Crush which Julian did on the last Daft Punk album, kind of synthy new wave. The songwriting and chord changes and everything are very very classic Strokes, by which I mean they sound like The Strokes when they were good. Not as messy, more midtempo for the most part but I am really enjoying this and I never thought I'd enjoy a The Strokes album again. I didn't even think I'd listen to one again but some mates said check it.

At The Door is great, kind of reminds me of a funereal synthy dirge, also excellent video. Very morose sound but also really euphoric, builds and builds.

https://youtu.be/9CAz_vvsK9M

Another favourite is Endless Summer, really catchy falsetto verses and some awkward 80s ranting, kind of yacht rock meets Talking Heads.

https://youtu.be/5c3EjeP2x-Q

The Adults Are Talking is another really good one, sounds like it's off the first couple of albums but cleaner and when it breaks open halfway through I think it's one of the best things they've done, actually. Maybe the best vocal he's done in twenty years.

https://youtu.be/o4qsjmLxhow

[Abnormal Palm]

Genuinely love this more than any album I've heard in months.

[peanutbutter]

#11 for 2020 on rateyourmusic right now, haven't listened yet but will. Kinda expecting a revelation similar to Weezer's white album (i.e. excluding nostalgia easily on a par with their second album)

[Dewt]

https://youtu.be/9CAz_vvsK9M

What a beautiful video. Seems to be a reference to a lot of things, not least Watership Down (also this puts that remake of Down to shame). What else is in there? Fantastic Planet a bit, I think.

[SteveDave]

It's taken me a full 5 minutes of muttering one of the vocal melodies from that ^ song and I've finally discovered it's "The Winner Takes It All"

I'm listening to the whole LP now though and it's not as bad as I would've expected. I've not heard a Strokes LP since the second one which I don't think I got to the end of. I didn't care that much for half of the first album either though.

[Johnny Textface]

It's great. Although not as good as "Virtue".

I find that most of the songs last about one and half minutes too long. It's the most interested Julian Casablancas has sounded on a Strokes record since 2002.

[Abnormal Palm]

I'm very surprised to say that I'm still absolutely caning this.

The slightly crap ones have also really grown on me. It's got some bloody brilliant codas. Maybe my favourite coda record ever! It's the first time I've actually ever thought, damn, great codas, and I suspect Julian has made an effort to write codas rather than fade out at the last chorus, but there are some crackers.

Selfless, Bad Decisions and Ode to the Mets are especially good to me.

I agree that the songs are arguably one or two chunks too long but because it's such a short album, and the codas point, I really love what they've done here.

[Custard]

Yeah, this is really strong. Easily their best since First Impressions Of Earth, and stuffed with lovely melodies. Especially like Selfless

[Dusty Substance]

Yeah, this is really strong. Easily their best since First Impressions Of Earth]

I listened to it a couple of weeks ago and had this very same thought. I'd forgotten how much I liked The Strokes. Julian Casablancas has such a nonchalant and distinct singing style.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Blimey, thanks for the OP, AP, I'd not thought about The Strokes in years and had written them off as a band I was no longer interested in, but I'm listening to the new album now and really enjoying it.