Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
 |
Rating: 3.5 / 5 Reviewer: Michelle Kennedy |
Almost 10 years ago to the day, the world was about to change. Soon the banal truth of the Y2K crisis would no longer be fodder for comedy; soon we would understand phrases like “homeland security”; soon we would comprehend what it meant to live in a “post-911” world; soon we would be told we told, “We are at war”…
Almost 10 years ago the music world was changing too. Still reeling from the ‘90s and a real, fun rock revival seemed to be happening in earnest and leading the charge were New York’s rock fashion kings The Strokes. In 2001 there was not a better, more exciting band, and fast forwarding all the way to 2011 there is a hardly a more anticipated album. 10 years after their debut, Angles is an earnest, joyful and truly fun record.
Casablancas and co. still have it all, in spades: style, sex and, yes, even substance. If you were worried that their five-year hiatus as a band may have killed off some of the flawless panache, don’t be. Angles is full of crisp production (by Joe Chiccarelli), great lyrics (“Manchu Picchu” and “Life is Simple in the Moonlight” are particular highlights), glam beats worthy of The Strokes’ tight jeans and the beautiful sweet scent of sex and sweat all over it.
Angles is as sinful and decadent as you hoped and as bright and colourful as you expected. But that’s also the problem – Angles is everything you expected, but without a lot of surprises. There is a little more ‘70s glam on this record than previous releases and Casablancas’ vocal range does seem to have taken a positive turn, but otherwise it’s just a solid album of dance rock super jams and there ain’t a thing wrong with that.
