Hype has always been The Strokes’ worst enemy. Even before Is This It was released, critics and fans, particularly in England, were already lauding The Strokes as the next great rock band. Naturally, the backlash was just as intense, the band’s detractors decrying the band as vociferously as their fans defended them. While it seems a bit silly and overblown in retrospect, the amount of hype directed towards The Strokes has carried over to all of their subsequent releases, affecting the perception of those records in an almost entirely negative way. After all, when a record is as loved as Is This It, what else can measure up?
Comedown Machine, apparent right from its title, represents the breaking of this formula. It was recorded quickly, especially considering the six years spent between The Strokes’ previous two records, First Impressions Of Earth and Angles, and in relative secrecy, so anticipation for their newest album has been relatively subdued (this could also be due to the lukewarm reception to Angles, which this writer finds to be extremely underrated). This environment has allowed The Strokes to make what is possibly their most laid back record, one that’s a bit of a grower, but reveals its subtle charms over time.
Comedown Machine continues The Strokes’, and lead singer Julian Casablancas’ in particular, infatuation with 80s new wave and Europop, which began in earnest on Casablancas’ solo debut Phrazes For The Young and carried over to Angles. “Tap Out” opens the album with one of the group’s prettiest melodies, riding a groove similar to “Machu Picchu” from Angles, while Casablancas coos in a quiet falsetto, a vocal technique he uses often, with varying degrees of success throughout Comedown Machine. The two songs that follow, “All The Time” and “One Way Trigger,” were simultaneously released as singles, and both embody the dichotomy of The Strokes’ latest release. “All The Time” is this album’s prototypical Strokes single, full of their signature guitars and Casablancas’ distinct wail. It’s not as immediately memorable as comeback single “Under Cover Of Darkness,” and frankly sounds like it could have been written in their sleep, but still provides the sound that keeps casual fans returning.
“One Way Trigger,” however, represents The Strokes’ true intentions with Comedown Machine. Riding a synth line straight out of a-ha’s “Take On Me,” “One Way Trigger” shows the group trying to combine their iconic sound to their love of new wave, and it’s an admirable, half-successful song, certainly more interesting and energetic than the by-the-numbers “All The Time.” However, Casablancas’ falsetto fails him here, as he strains to hit the high notes, ending up sounding like he’s shredding his vocal chords, and not in a good way.
Still, it’s the songs that attempt to tinker with The Strokes’ sound that make up the highlights here. “Welcome To Japan” is, along with “Tap Out,” the standout track here, successfully melding Strokes signature guitars (both Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. are fantastic throughout, offering up some of their most mature and tasteful guitar playing to date) with Duran Duran-esque disco pop, along with a welcome dose of humor, offering the most quotable lyric on the record, “What kind of asshole drives a Lotus?” “Slow Animals” and “Partners In Crime” offer back to back highlights on Comedown Machine’s second half, the former memorable for another great Casablancas vocal and dynamic chorus, while the latter rides a beat that skips along in similar fashion to classics like “Someday.”
It’s when The Strokes overreach, however, that Comedown Machine begins to drag a bit. “80s Comedown Machine” attempts a grandiose statement, similar in style to “Ask Me Anything” from First Impressions Of Earth, but at almost five minutes long (the longest song in The Strokes’ discography) overstays its welcome, riding its simplistic groove endlessly. “50/50” tries for the hardest slab of rock The Strokes have offered to date, but comes off as forced, with Casablancas sounding whiny where he’s trying for anger (the almost comical overuse of their signature vocal distortion here doesn’t help matters). However, the album’s closing track, “Call It Fate, Call It Karma,” ends the album on a puzzling high note, evoking both Tom Waits and the jazz-rock influences (particularly Steely Dan) that were present on Angles’ similarly minded last song “Life Is Simple In The Moonlight.”
All this adds up to Comedown Machine being one of The Strokes’ most consistent releases. None of the songs here ever reach the nadir of the worst songs from their two previous records, but its best songs aren’t as immediately attention grabbing as their best singles. In other words, there’s no “Last Nite” here. However, credit must be given to The Strokes for not resting on their laurels, trying to carve out their own distinctive niche and avoiding writing an Is This It retread. The Strokes of Is This It were considered a great band; Comedown Machine presents a more interesting band, a band more willing to take risks, but not quite as great as they once were. Honestly, it’s not a bad trade-off.
Grade: B
Good review. I totally agree that Angles is underrated. I've listened to a few of the songs on Comedown Machine, and my feeling is "meh" for the most part. I definitely like "Call It Fate, Call It Karma" right off the bat. I definitely respect that the Strokes try new things instead of trying to replicate This Is It. Like you said, they'll probably never match the popularity of that record.
<3 the "All The Time" vid:) http://smarturl.it/StrokesATTVEVO