With 2013 just starting to get going, many acts are rolling out their plans for their latest albums to be released throughout the year, and one particular New York outfit that everyone’s been keeping an ear to the ground for is The Strokes.
It’s been a long wait since reports first surfaced last year, courtesy of Albert Hammond Jr’s dad, that the fivesome have been working on their fifth full length-record in their native Big Apple, but now there’s official details and a very interesting first taste of the new record.
Rolling Stone reports that the band’s follow-up to 2011’s Angles is due for release on March 22nd with the very curious title Comedown Machine, via Sony (in Australia) and RCA records. The retro album art seems inspired by the band’s record label also, designed to resemble an old RCA demo tape, touting “37 minutes 49 seconds” of “extra strength” music.
The first taste of the new album comes in the form of ‘One Way Trigger’ (available as a free download from the band’s website), which features the ever-cool Julian Casablancas whiling away in his rarely heard falsetto setting against a backdrop of urgent tempos and stuttering new wave synths, that more than a little recall A-Ha’s ‘Take On Me.’
“…features the ever-cool Julian Casablancas whiling away in his rarely heard falsetto [with] stuttering new wave synths.”It’s closer to something from Casablancas’ own solo record Phrazes For The Young than the slick, choppy garage rock of The Strokes defining work, but there’s still room for a tidy little bit of guitar melody duelling between Albert Hammond Jr and Nick Valensi; Nikolai Fraiture and Fabio Moretti locking down a typically popping rhythm.
‘One Way Trigger’ is the first taste of the album, but not the first official single, which is another track called “All The Time”, which Pitchfork reports will be released February 19th in conjunction with pre-orders for The Strokes’ latest.
The addition of the Strokes’ Comedown Machine to the 2013 release schedule is the latest in what is shaping up to be a very good year for record releases, with new albums due soon from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Knife’s 98 minute opus, and The Drones.
As well as long-awaited albums from My Bloody Valentine, a swathe of new material from Pond, David Bowie’s first new album in a decade, and Daft Punk’s long-awaited fourth studio album, and their first after switching labels to Columbia Records.
You can listen to ‘One Way Trigger’ below, as well as check out the retro-inspired album artwork for Comedown Machine, as well as an ace lyrics poster the band has put together for the song.
