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CD: The Strokes – Angles

Can the saviours of Noughties rock don their leather jackets and rescue rock again?

by bruce.dessauFriday, 18 March 2011

The Strokes: Obtuse album sleeve but a cute lead singer

Follow that. It's the inevitable two-word mantra after a band has released a defining debut. The Strokes delivered their seminal statement of intent with Is This It in 2001, proving that a decent leather jacket, attitude and a rock riff will never let you down. Well, a decade on and with their fourth album out on Monday, there is much muttering of rock letting you down. Can Angles do anything to stop the rock rot?

The simple answer is no. The more complex answer is maybe, if only the New York quintet would pull their fingers out and deliver something more cohesive. The opening track, “Machu Picchu” is a real dud, a slice of limp, white pop-reggae that would not seem out of place on Now That's What I Call Eighties Sub-Men at Work Twaddle. “Games” nods awkwardly to New Romantic-era electro, while “Metabolism” is a horrendous foray into prog noodling.

That's the bad news. The good news is that when Julian Casablancas and co let rip with their louche CBGBs drawl and some deft guitar solos, they still have it. “Gratisfaction” is a shameless singalong boogie and even better is the recent single “Under Cover of Darkness”. If the latter feels naggingly familiar that is because it is not a million miles from their decade-old breakthrough “Last Night”. No wonder Casablancas drones on it "Everybody is singing the same song for 10 years".

It is no surprise that Angles – rotten cover, by the way – feels fractured. Rumour has it that the working relationship in the studio was testy, with Casablancas recording his vocals then leaving. In a world where everyone from MGMT to Vampire Weekend to Lady Gaga is doing inventive takes on retro-pop (except The Vaccines, who do naff-all new), The Strokes have their work cut out. With their various swanky backgrounds they were never the most bursting-to-succeed, hungriest of bands and it is unlikely they will ever match the Bowery beauty of Is This It, but this album does have flashes of past genius. They might be trying to find new angles, but they are best when sticking to square one.

Watch The Strokes perform "Under Cover of Darkness"

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