Thursday 25 April 2013

Review of "Comedown Machine" by The Strokes



Change is very much a marmite concept. Some people like change. Some people hate it (mainly old people). 

The group's debut Is This It? was a raw and stripped back indie masterpiece. By contrast, Comedown Machine is a cocktail of 80s new wave inspired sounds, with some hints of punk and Hawiian jazz. Old skool fans won't like it, because they don't like change. However, I embrace change, and overall I think their new sound is more fun and instrumentally intriguing than anything they've done previously. 

Poor vocal production sadly lets this album down a bit. Julian Casablanca seems to drown under the instrumentation. His lyrics end up incomprehensible. But oh well, the instrumentation makes up for it. 


TRACK TASTER: