The Strokes Settle the Score with 'The New Abnormal'
by Erin Christie
Ever since my introduction to The Strokes some time in middle school, I’ve been hooked. Back in 2012, I spent hours watching behind-the-scenes documentaries (notably, In Transit, which details some of the band’s antics all the way back in 2001) and interviews (one of my favorites being Nardwuar’s), eating up absolutely every little detail I could about this skinny jean-wearing, moppy-haired band from New York City. Even now, at twenty-years-old, that feeling of admiration hasn’t faded, from following frontman Julian Casablancas’ various side ventures (namely, J.C. + The Voidz, turned just “The Voidz”), bassist Albert Hammond Jr’s solo project, and guitarist Nick Valensi’s band, CRX. Needless to say, I’ve established a comfortable home up The Strokes’ collective ass and have remained there for a while now.
About a year ago, upon hearing that the boys were officially going to rejoin forces and release their first new record in seven years, it felt like my head was going to explode out of excitement. Now that that very record, The New Abnormal (released April 10 via Cult and RCA Records), is finally out (especially in a climate as chaotic as it is ), it’s difficult to describe what I’m feeling—Comfort? A mish-mash of relief and unequivocal joy? It’s a weird thing, balancing the fear I’ve been battling since entering quarantine with the love in my heart that I have for The Strokes. And yet, here I am.
When discussing the U.S. garage rock/post-punk revival of the early ’00s, not mentioning The Strokes would be a crime. Alongside bands such as The White Stripes, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes helped pave the way for a new musical landscape—one defined by simplistic, yet evocative instrumentation, backed by gritty bass riffs and pop-leaning melodies. The band’s first record, Is This It (2001), is an absolute triumph and sits on many publications’ lists as one of the best debut albums of all time. With an introduction that strong, the group set the bar for the quality of future releases unbelievably high. And still, they have yet to disappoint me (but maybe that’s my bias speaking).
In the last almost twenty years, their sound has changed quite a bit—note Casablancas’ affinity for autotune in recent years and the band’s adoption of synths into their repertoire. They’re not the type of group to bend according to the will of the mainstream, nor change based on industry standards and that means, simply, doing whatever the fuck they want. There is a downside to bending the rules, though: with their last prior release, Comedown Machine (2013)—as much as it hurts me to admit—they fell a little short of excellence, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about the prospect of their eventual comeback leaving a similar taste in my mouth (especially considering their questionable art direction for this album cycle in repurposing a classic Basquiat painting with overlaid WordArt text as the cover).
Upon The New Abnormal’s release at 12 O’clock sharp, though, I immediately felt my tear ducts overflow with pride rather than disappointment. As a die-hard fan that would literally lay down on train tracks for Julian Casablancas, I probably would have eaten up anything that this band released after all this time, regardless of whether or not it could be considered “good.” But, thankfully, with The New Abnormal, I’m more than simply content with having another Strokes album to listen to; I really do enjoy it. Listening through for the first time, it felt like the record’s tracklist passed by in an instant; “time flies when you’re having fun,” and in this case, that was true.
The New Abnormal feels like a triumphant step in the right direction, or, really, a step backward if we’re considering the band’s storied history. “And the Eighties bands, where did they go?” Casablancas whines on single, “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus.” It’s very much clear that this record is an ode to the ’80s, prompted notably by the melody borrowed from Modern English with “Bad Decisions,” a punchy, “I Melt With You”-reminiscent song Casablancas says is “about 2016” (note: this was the year the band released the Future Present Past EP).
This new project is far from any other cliche love letter to the birth-time of post-punk and new-wave. On the contrary, The New Abnormal conjures classic Strokes calling cards—from flashy keys, subdued riffs, and danceable hooks—with an added edge, as if they’ve continued where Comedown Machine left off and perfected what they had meant to do back in 2013.
The record opens with “The Adults are Talking,” a song they debuted at their LA benefit show late last year. With heavy bass and upbeat snare via drummer Fabrizio Moretti, it’s an immediate toe-tapper. “They will blame us, crucify us, shame us / We can’t help if we are a problem,” Casablancas shamelessly states. It reads like a call-out to anyone who might feel prompted to judge this record without giving it a chance.
The song ends with a subtle inclusion of studio banter and it feels like a nod to the newfound camaraderie the band has found in recent years after they’ve each gone their separate ways and taken time to reflect. Now, they’ve got the gears turning again and it’s resulted in some of my favorite work from them. It’s cheesy, sure, but simply hearing Casablancas’ voice pouring through my earbuds again feels like a warm summer day.
“Eternal Summer” (which borrows instrumentation from The Psychedelic Furs’ “The Ghost in You”) exhibits a particularly spicy higher vocal range—while he’s certainly owned his grittier falsettos with more recent tracks such as “One Way Trigger” and “Oblivius,” his vocal ability definitely shines here and throughout the rest of the record. This album exhibits some of Casablancas’ strongest vocals to date, and that’s part of what makes it such a success.
Part of that success, too, lies in this record’s versatility: it jumps back and forth from high-energy groove to laid-back ballad, and yet, it somehow all fits together cohesively.
“At the Door,” for example, threw me for a loop. It was the band’s first official release since 2016 and the record’s introductory single—upon first listen, I almost didn’t know what to make of it, especially when paired with the song’s animated space-age music video. Combining apocalyptic imagery—that depicts an alien monarchy, a child Casablancas being crowned as king, and a scene reminiscent of the rabbit-hierarchy exhibited in Watership Down—it’s a trip. And still, it makes sense in the context the rest of the record provides.
Much of this record is an examination of the past, the present, and the future, taking a critical lens to not only our collective world but The Strokes’ world on a more personal level. It’s deeply emotional, rooted in frustration, longing, and even acceptance. The New Abnormal’s high points, at least for me, are those dripping with sentiment.
Notably, “Not The Same Anymore” brought tears to my eyes. Like Whitney Houston once said, “Songs like that, they’re stories that people can identify with. Children will be singing that song at weddings, graduations, funerals…” Combining somber, sultry vocals and wailing guitar (that almost reminds me of Sting’s “Shape of My Heart”), this track evokes an eerie sense of longing, as if you, too, are feeling as mournful as the lyrics express. I can picture this song soundtracking a scenario in which the hero of our tale walks the streets alone, head hung low, feeling defeated, and utterly lost.
“Ode to the Mets” contains a similar sort of energy in its distinct somber lull. I heard the track for the first time in a live atmosphere: on New Year’s Eve as I witnessed The Strokes perform in a packed arena in Brooklyn—taking a break from an otherwise jovial set. When the band began to play it, the crowd was utterly silent, in awe, and processing the first inklings of this new era with the utmost attention. Backed with bleak, somber guitars, and synths, as the album’s close, it feels like a goodbye as it gradually fades away—nostalgic, melancholy, and bittersweet. And maybe that’s what it’s meant to be—a sort of goodbye to The Strokes as we knew them as, lyrically, it looks back on the band’s New York beginnings. “It’s the last one now, I can promise you that / I’m gonna find out the truth when I get back,” as the chorus claims.
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Earlier this year, I had the fever dream-like opportunity to see the boys headline a rally in support of Bernie Sanders at the University of New Hampshire (as wild as that scenario sounds). Shortly after the band began their set that February evening, it became clear that the barricade was not nearly strong enough to hold the waves of frenzied fans, eager to get as close to the stage as possible. Standing second row, center, it felt as though my ribs were going to crack as security and other official personnel pushed as hard as they could against the rail in the hopes of keeping the masses at bay. Their efforts, however, were fruitless as soon after the set began, the barricade came crashing down, pushing everyone directly against the raised platform on which the band stood.
Once the absolute shock of abruptly being pushed forward by the momentum subsided, the shock that I was leaning up against a stage on which The Strokes were performing overcame me. As I’ve grown up, I’ve attempted to shed the starstruck “fangirl” mentality; after all, the musicians I’ve come to love are simply people, right? But, in this particular moment, of course, I was losing my mind. With rumors that The Strokes’ hiatus had been prompted due to the members’ collective unhappiness, it was a relief to see them enjoying themselves; to look up at the stage and find five smiling faces looking back. With The New Abnormal out now, that sense of relief is even more relevant—the band is really back together.
As I sit here in my childhood bedroom (where I’ve been for the past almost three months now), playing the album over and over again, I feel oddly at ease. Though the world is falling apart and basically everything has been going wrong lately, The Strokes didn’t let me down, and that’s about all that I, and the thousands of fans still rallied behind them, needed.
Make sure to listen to The New Abnormal, keep up with the band via their socials, and tune into their series, 5 guys talking about things they know nothing about.