Music Review: The Strokes’ latest album ‘The New Abnormal’ lacks both passion and direction
The Strokes attempt to correct course after a rocky few years, but many songs overstay their welcome
Returning after a seven-year hiatus is usually cause for celebration. As uneven as The Strokes’ recent history may be, their earlier work was some of the defining sounds of the mid-2000s and even the most disillusioned fans probably felt some cautious excitement when they announced their latest album, The New Abnormal (★★★☆☆).
Whether or not a listener finds the album disappointing or not probably depends on the expectations they bring into it. It’s definitely not the band at its best, but in announcing the album, they made the claim that it would pull them out of the malaise they have found themselves in over the past few years. On that promise they deliver, and that alone will probably be a relief to fans who might have been dreading another Comedown Machine.
The album has a certain sleepiness to it, and it’s often difficult to tell whether or not this was intentional. Many of the songs, regardless of runtime, end up feeling like they have overstayed their welcome two-thirds of the way in. The paradoxical exception to this is the album’s longest track, the gorgeously atmospheric six-minute-long “Eternal Summer.”
The New Abnormal has a few new ideas that mostly cohere around a single consistent sound that leaves the album feeling somewhat directionless. For better or worse, the signature sound they made their name on is mostly only present in the background, hiding behind warm, muted instrumentals. Most of the songs are at least serviceable, but mostly they are too much like one another to be all that memorable.
As interesting as the sound is at times, one of the main problems with The New Abnormal is that it meanders from one idea to the next without much apparent intention or drive. It is full of good ideas, and a few elements that work amazingly well in isolation, but they feel as though they were assembled haphazardly. The plucky guitar on the album opener “The Adults Are Talking” is fun, but midway through the track begins to plod along. Julian Casablancas’ falsetto, perhaps stronger than it has ever been, is made use of only sporadically.
When the album does come together, it does so beautifully. To their credit, they close out The New Abnormal on a high note with “Ode to the Mets.” An unusual track, it stands out not just for its synthy elements but for the way it highlights Casablancas’ vocals, which throughout the album are as strong as ever and are certainly another positive development. Refreshingly, or frustratingly depending on your perspective, it offers a glimpse into what the rest of the album might have been with a tighter focus.
It would be easier to applaud The Strokes for making a somewhat bold attempt to reinvent themselves and once again find their way, if Casablancas had not already admitted that most of his real passion and interest is reserved for his side project, The Voidz. If The New Abnormal sounds directionless and lacking in passion, it is not for want of talent and potential. The Strokes have already proved they have plenty of that. More likely it was just a case of the wrong timing.
The New Abnormal is available on most streaming services and digital stores.
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