The Strokes release new single ‘At the Door’, Rick Rubin-produced album due in April

A day after performing new songs at a Bernie Sanders rally, The Strokes have officially released their first single in four years. ‘At the Door’ will appear on their first album since 2013’s Comedown Machine. 

‘At the Door’, The Strokes’ synth-heavy new single, has arrived. The band started teasing new music in May 2019 when they performed  ‘The Adults Are Talking’ at an LA benefit show. Then, on New Year’s Eve, frontman Julian Casablancas declared they’d been “unfrozen”.

Anticipation really started to build over the weekend when the band’s social media accounts hinted at a new project called “The New Abnormal”. With the release of ‘At the Door’ comes the confirmation that The New Abnormal is The Strokes’ upcoming sixth album. Rick Rubin produced the record, which will be out on April 10 via Cult/RCA Records.

Watch: The Strokes – At the Door

So what are critics saying about ‘At the Door’? Pitchfork’s Noah Yoo says it sounds like The Strokes are “done trying to be a Strokes cover band.” The reviewer notes that despite the synth-dominance, “the chorus retains the circular, nostalgic feeling of one of their classics.”

The review concludes on a positive note, saying the “chorus hits a sweet spot the band has missed for almost a decade.”

Stereogum describes ‘At the Door’ as “an expansive five-minute track built on a spare synth sound and on Julian Casablancas singing his heart out. It’s cool as hell.” NME‘s Thomas Smith had nothing but praise, saying ‘At the Door’ represents “the sound of a band with fresh musical touch-points and expanded horizons.”

He calls Casablancas’ vocal performance of his “most impressive yet,” and “suggests that a deeper, more satisfying journey is about to take place.”

Watch: The Strokes – Threat of Joy

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