By Jaylyn Preslicka, Staff Reporter
The sixth studio album “The New Abnormal” by the poster children of 2000’s post-punk revival The Strokes debuted on April 10th. During a charity show at the Wiltern on May 13 2019, the band played a mysterious never-before-heard song that would end up being the opening track titled “The Adults Are Talking.” After word spread of the song playing, rumors of a new album circulated – the first since 2013. Many had assumed that frontman Julian Casablancas had been too busy with his side project The Voidz to be working with The Strokes, that is until the official announcement on Feb. 7.
The Strokes have a prodigy quality to them; whatever they do, it won’t be bad. With “The New Abnormal,” that statement is verified and contradicted. There is an undeniable nostalgia factor to the album. This is noteably heard with Nikolai Fratiure’s bass, something that stands out as reminiscent of earlier albums. There is no denying that Casablancas took a dive back into the signature sound of the first three albums (“Is This It?,” “Room on Fire,” and “First Impressions of Earth”), but each track begins with a synth-organ, something predominantly heard on the more experimental album, “Angles.”
When asked about what Casablancas thinks the relation to the other Strokes records is, he stated, “I don’t”.
Most of the tracks are on the longer side, ranging from the shortest being 3:42 and the longest being 6:15. This is due to the long-drawn out vocals and strange synth solos. Not only does it give the album a melancholy tone, but one that needs getting used to if not a “die-hard” patient fan. In general, Casablancas’ vocals are muted and underappreciated on the early tracks but as the album progresses, they become more clear.
“The New Abnormal’ is definitely more mellow and bittersweet than previous albums, but it still maintains the original ‘Strokes Sound’ which was encapsulated by iconic early albums like ‘Is This It’ and ‘Room On Fire,” Arcadia High senior Natalia Valvano said. “It’s a fantastic comeback for a band that was on such an extended hiatus; one can definitely hear more pop influences on this album but it doesn’t deter the listener from enjoying some good old-fashioned indie rock.”
Overall, the album visits two nostalgic flashbacks: their original sound and influence from synth-crazed 80’s alternative pop. The combo is not something easily pulled off, but in this case, it was a hit.
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