It\’s not that Angles is a bad album – far from it. But after such an anticipatory wait it doesn\’t quite feel as though The Strokes have risen back to the pinnacle that they achieved with their debut. This wouldn\’t be such a problem had it not been for their two year break in between this album and their last. Their hiatus came at what was, to all intents and purposes, a good time for the band. After touring their third and possibly their worst album, First Impressions on Earth, a break to refresh their musical palates was probably just what the doctor ordered.
Each of the five members of The Strokes have, in the interval, embarked upon side projects: Albert Hammond Jr has released two solo albums; drummer Fabrizio Maretti formed the band Little Joy; bassist Nikolai Fraiture formed Nickel Eye; Nick Valensi hired out his services to numerous musicians including Maretti and Regina Spektor; and Julian Casablancas released his own solo album, Phrazes for the Young, in late 2009. After having acquired all this new and diverse musical experience, a new Strokes album was an exciting prospect. With each member now far more experienced in crafting music, the writing and recording process for Angles promised to be a far more collaborative process than their previous three LPs which were almost exclusively written by Casablancas.
The standard of the music on the album is generally quite high, but Angles never really achieves that immediate energy and memorable quality which characterised the 2002 sensation, Is This It?. My main gripe with the album is Julian Casablancas\’ lyrics which, although delivered in the same powerful drawl, are often incredibly difficult to discern. A case in point is Two Kinds of Happiness which would possess the most soaring chorus on the album were it not for Casablanca\’s vocal delivery which makes the words almost impossible to make out. This, in turn, makes it impossible to sing along to the infectious melody.
The problem is that the five year hiatus was meant to put the band back on the road to good health, whereas in reality it has done no such thing. Reports from the studio portray a fragmented and often difficult recording process in which Casablancas recorded his vocals away from the rest of the band and Albert Hammond Jr struggled with a drug problem that resulted in rehab. It is little wonder, then, that Angles, although worthy of some credit, wasn\’t the great album that was promised. However, with news that the band will begin work on a new album this month, there is a general feeling that The Strokes recognise that they can do better and that they are eager to do so. We can only hope that they manage to bring together their undeniably outstanding musical talents and produce the album we\’re all waiting for.
