The Strokes have seemed over the past five years to be (much to my despair) a band on their final legs. After putting out two world-class records Is This It and Room on Fire more than 10 years ago, three subsequent albums have failed to reach the bar set by iconic 00’s tracks like ‘Last Nite’ and ‘Reptilia.’ To be sure, there have been highlights in their most recent output – ‘Machu Picchu’ would be the apotheosis of most bands’ work – but the most worrying thing about the future of The Strokes is not the quality of the music, which remains high, but rather the declining interest that the members of the band seem to have in playing together. Since the first two albums, all five Strokes have embarked on side projects or solo careers, with frontman and primary songwriter Julian Casablancas and guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. achieving reasonable critical success.
Nevertheless, the disparate personalities of The Strokes have come together again to record a new three track EP, Future Present Past, which synthesises Casablancas’ and Hammond’s recent solo work with most recent album Comedown Machine in a way that mirrors the evolution of The Strokes over the course of its existence, as the title suggests. The first track ‘Drag Queen’ is a futuristic, 80s-inspired strut with reverb-y synths interspersed with guitars, and a climactic explosion of a chorus. ‘Queen’ seems a natural combination of modern-era Strokes with Casablancas’ solo career and adventurous progressive rock project with The Voidz, which could not be more different to The Strokes while still remaining, by a generous definition, within the same genre. Casablancas always seems unenthusiastic about returning to The Strokes after time away – he recorded his vocals for fourth Strokes LP Angles separately from the rest of the band, and the group only played a handful of shows to promote Comedown Machine. ‘Drag Queen’ should appease his evolving musical taste. It is a Strokes tune in the vein of Angles’ ‘Games,’ a departure from the interlocking, crunchy guitars of Is This It and Room on Fire, but it is definitely an entertaining track with a memorable chorus. If this is the future of the band, they could do worse.
The second track, ‘OBLIVIUS’, is more obviously Strokes-y, and more obviously a very good track. Hammond and Nick Valensi’s guitar work on the intro is intricate, with the dueling riff s bouncing off and complementing each other. As Casablancas cries “What side are you standing on?” in another climactic chorus, one can’t help but feel like The Strokes are still capable of creating music that stays true to what brought them success in the first place, but is still innovative. This sentiment is supported by closer ‘Threat of Joy’, a mellow tune that wouldn’t be out of place on the second half of Is This It with a simple rhythm section framing crooning vocals and clean guitar chords. ‘Threat’ is an homage to where The Strokes came from, and the influence of Hammond, who unlike Casablancas has never strayed far from Strokes-style songwriting in his solo career, is palpable. It is unpretentious, no-frills guitar rock – exactly what made The Strokes great.
The future (‘Drag Queen’), present (‘OBLIVIUS’), and past (‘Threat of Joy’) have combined in a bite-sized EP from a legendary band that doesn’t leave one underwhelmed like the last two LPs did. Each track has its merits, but the latter two tracks are gems that blend the work of the band with the work of its individual members. If they are motivated enough to continue, there is life left in The Strokes.
