Casablancas lost without Strokes
Taylor Smith
Issue date: 11/16/09 Section: Entertainment
In 2001, you would have been hard pressed to find anyone cooler than Julian Casablancas. He and the Strokes had just released Is This It and were lined up to sit atop the long vacant throne of the Lower East Side. Complete with long hair, jackets made of weathered leather, and tight pants, Casablancas and crew conjured images of the Velvet Underground or even the Rolling Stones. Popular with fans and worshipped by critics, the Strokes seemed poised to lead a musical revival in the states.
Following the release of their third record, things started going sour for the Strokes, eventually leading to a bit of a hiatus. The individual members explored other musical avenues, playing with other bands and also releasing solo material. After toying with smaller projects, Casablancas finally released his first full length solo LP, Phrazes for the Young, on November 3.
Any album featuring Casablancas will be highlighted by his lackadaisical voice; no one not named James Bond comes off so cool so easily. His rugged voice has always seemed as if he was half asleep, and those constant comparisons to Lou Reed still apply here. Vocal similarities aside, Phrazes is not a Strokes record. Casablancas ventures far beyond the alternative rock boundaries of the Strokes. Although musical changes are most noticeable, the real difference maker is the production.
The album's first single, "11th Dimension", opens with a chugging synth bass line that is quickly joined by a chordal lead that screams 80's. The track escalates into a battle between the verse and chorus, each fighting for ownership of the songs genre, rock or disco. "River of Brakelights" continues this theme, containing both programmed drums and synth, as well as plenty of distorted guitar. "4 Chords of the Apocalypse", the record's closest thing to a ballad, stands strong with its bluesy organ and 3/3 time. Much of the album seems to struggle with the battle between the aesthetics of new and old. This idea is most prevalent on "Ludlow St."
Casablancas seems lost without his fellow band mates and you get the feeling that he sort of knows it. He recently told Pitchfork, "it's harder to be the one working out every detail", and this difficulty is exposed on Phrazes. Many tracks feel overproduced and overstay their welcome. Although Phrazes only contains eight songs, the record feels long, too long, and much of this time is spent fighting the urge to pull out your old Strokes records instead. For the time being it may not be such a bad idea to give into that urge.
Following the release of their third record, things started going sour for the Strokes, eventually leading to a bit of a hiatus. The individual members explored other musical avenues, playing with other bands and also releasing solo material. After toying with smaller projects, Casablancas finally released his first full length solo LP, Phrazes for the Young, on November 3.
Any album featuring Casablancas will be highlighted by his lackadaisical voice; no one not named James Bond comes off so cool so easily. His rugged voice has always seemed as if he was half asleep, and those constant comparisons to Lou Reed still apply here. Vocal similarities aside, Phrazes is not a Strokes record. Casablancas ventures far beyond the alternative rock boundaries of the Strokes. Although musical changes are most noticeable, the real difference maker is the production.
The album's first single, "11th Dimension", opens with a chugging synth bass line that is quickly joined by a chordal lead that screams 80's. The track escalates into a battle between the verse and chorus, each fighting for ownership of the songs genre, rock or disco. "River of Brakelights" continues this theme, containing both programmed drums and synth, as well as plenty of distorted guitar. "4 Chords of the Apocalypse", the record's closest thing to a ballad, stands strong with its bluesy organ and 3/3 time. Much of the album seems to struggle with the battle between the aesthetics of new and old. This idea is most prevalent on "Ludlow St."
Casablancas seems lost without his fellow band mates and you get the feeling that he sort of knows it. He recently told Pitchfork, "it's harder to be the one working out every detail", and this difficulty is exposed on Phrazes. Many tracks feel overproduced and overstay their welcome. Although Phrazes only contains eight songs, the record feels long, too long, and much of this time is spent fighting the urge to pull out your old Strokes records instead. For the time being it may not be such a bad idea to give into that urge.
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posted 11/23/09 @ 9:02 AM EST
I adore Casablancas' voice!
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