The Strokes: Under Cover of Darkness

Ok was it just me who though The Strokes had split up? Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that they haven’t as I’m a huge fan of the band, and when I heard that they were bringing out a new album I think I may have done a little dance, but it does seem like a long time since they’ve had any new music. They haven’t released an album since 2005 so you would hope that their upcoming album ‘Angles’ will be spectacular, considering they’ve had such a long time to work on it, and by the sounds of the albums first single ‘Under Cover of Darkness’ they’re on the right track.

The band originated in New York, and has been going since 1998, with their first album ‘Is This It’ released in 2001. They haven’t released an album in six years, and Bassist Nikolai Fraiture has said that they are going back to basics with this one, which sounds rather exciting.

I first discovered the band when I saw them play at V Festival in 2004 and I was instantly hooked; their catchy rhythms and Casablancas’ unusual voice sounded amazing live, and I think the fact that he looked quite intoxicated while he was performing may have added to that festival feel. As for their albums, ‘Is This It’ is number one for me personally, because the tunes are really catchy, you can connect with the lyrics, and there isn’t a bad song in the bunch. It’s very rare that you find an album like that which you can listen to all the way through without wanting to skip a track so when you do find one, it becomes quite special. It’s difficult to explain the feeling when an album really strikes a chord with you, but for me that’s how I feel when listening to ‘Is This It’ and I definitely recommend giving it a go if you haven’t already.

‘Under Cover of Darkness’ starts with a fun toe tapping guitar riff; this gives the song a hugely energetic feel. Then Casablancas’ voice comes in and there’s a distinct change between his slightly moody, low tones from previous albums. There’s one point where he actually goes quite high which is something I would not associate with him ordinarily, but he does it really well and it’s a really nice change. About half way through the song there’s a lovely, but brief, guitar solo which again has a really energetic rhythm. The song reminds me slightly of ‘Reptilia’ because of the great guitar riff, but it does have a new, fresh feel to it as well. Where their previous songs may have been slightly monotone, this song sounds like they’re trying to steer away from that slightly, it’s lively and exciting and Casablancas is trying out new things with his voice which works really well. Definitely give the song a listen, even if you haven’t previously been a big fan of the band because it’s a great new side to them.

After listening to the song I’m even more excited for the release of the album, in some ways they’ve gone back to their roots but in others they are trying out new things and bringing a new feel to their music. I hope the album, due for release on the 21st of March, brings more of this and that they don’t stop making new music soon as I’m not quite ready to say goodbye just yet.