Strokes’ latest a
no-frills record
Band returns with
much of the same in
new EP
By MATT GALLATIN
Daily Arts Writer
For all the traditionalism and
tropes that define The Strokes —
taut guitars, catchy chords, and
an
over-the-
top
rock
‘n’
roll attitude —
they too have
been a sort of
experiment for a
new interaction
between artists,
the
public,
labels
and
critics.
The
explosion of the
group in 2001 was propelled by a
new millennial generation of rock
writers and listeners. A shiny, new
“indie” publication called Pitchfork
would come, for better or worse, to
define this new approach. Reviews
became increasingly self-indulgent
and personal — this band means
something to me; this release is
far too mainstream for me; look
at all of these references I know.
Naturally, music reviews are going
to be subjective. Those who tell
you a review can be completely
techincal are kidding themselves.
But this new brand of narcissism
was, nevertheless, a sea change,
and it was one The Strokes were
pulled into gleefully by the culture,
the band’s wishes — whatever they
might have been — aside. And as it
goes, it was in that sea The Strokes
drowned, as critics who hailed
the band started taking personal
offense that they wouldn’t follow in
the footsteps of their darling record
Kid A.
And yet, despite the disdain, The
Strokes have continued to dole out
catchy, infectious, lasting singles
from one decade to another. The
usual complaint — they’re just
rehashing the same material — is
not necessarily ill-founded; it’s just
irrelevant at this point. Fine, none
of their material may ever match
the beating heart of “Last Nite.” But
the relentless pace of “Reptilia,”
the shimmering chords of “You
Only Live Once,” the pitch perfect
“Under Cover of Darkness” and the
jittery “One Way Trigger” endure
well on their own merits, even if
they’re not on a disc titled Is This It.
Accordingly, The Strokes have
managed, after much discussion
of their fate, to once again create a
successful, bouncy, fun release.
It seems part of that success
comes from a lesson in brevity. For
the most part, The Strokes have
always followed this rule, but it’s
more obvious on Future Present
Past than ever. There are only
three new tracks included, with
the addition of a remix of single
“Oblivius” at the end.
Opener
“Drag
Queen”
jolts
the EP into pace with its dark
guitar chords, and while a bit
overambitious
and
scattered
lyrically, it features a welcome
revision of the guitar interplay
that admittedly fell off in some
of their later records. But it’s the
original single here (per usual)
that stands head and shoulders
above everything else: “Oblivius.”
It’s a towering work by the band
and could be comfortably asserted
as one of their very best in over
a decade. The chorus resonates
like nothing we’ve heard from the
group in a while: “What side are
you standing on?” It’s simple, to the
point, and beautiful, which is not
what would always be associated
with Julian Casablancas’ nasally
voice.
“Threat of Joy” is a more upbeat
take, and it feels straight from Room
on Fire - era. It’s less memorable
than “Drag Queen” or “Oblivius,”
but still a solid track front to back,
disregarding the odd opening lines
from Casablancas (“Ok / I see how
it is now / you don’t have time to
play with me anymore”).
The addition of the “Oblivius”
remix by Moretti is an unnecessary
and inescapably redundant one, but
it’s a forgivable misstep given the
length of the EP. It shifts the focus,
rightly so, towards the single.
Are The Strokes changing the
culture with Future Present Past, as
they once did? Definitely not. Are
they going to win the minds of long-
standing detractors? No. But if you
want a straightforward, no-frills
rock release, you can rely on The
Strokes, like you always could.
B
Future
Present
Past
The Strokes
Cult Records
MUSIC REVIEW
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7
Thursday, June 9, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ARTS