By JARRED MIHALIK
Senior Writer

B.O.B., Far East Movement, Wiz Khalifa…Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros?  USG has certainly taken a bold step with this year’s selection for the Lawnparties headliner, breaking its steady tradition of hiring rising rap and/or electronic artists in favor of an established indie presence.  This choice was sure to cause some sort of reaction – responses on my Facebook newsfeed ranged from elated to horrified, with many expressing confusion at the selection of a band whose catalog doesn’t quite fit the definition of “pump up music.”  Nevertheless, I’m excited for a breath of fresh air—I believe it’s quite possible to have a great time listening to music that you don’t have to jump up and down to—but we’ll see how the set turns out.  I interviewed Christian Letts, a guitarist and vocalist in the (decidedly large) group about how the group is preparing for Sunday, and what they feel their music is about.  You can catch Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at Quad at 2:30 on Sunday.

JM: Can you explain a little about “Edward Sharpe” and how the band decided on their name?

Christian Letts: Alex had been writing a script for a long time and the main character’s name was Edward Sharpe; we all thought that was pretty cool.  We were kicking that idea around.  He was also trying to come up with his own sort of mathematics, exploring string theory and all this weird sh*t,  eventually he came up with this thing called Magnetic Zeros.  So we just put those two together and came up with our band name.

One of the things about Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic  Zeros is you guys have a very large group.  What are the pros and cons of having so many people in the band? 

CL: I don’t know if there are any cons really.   There might have been before, in L.A., when there were only five of us.  It was always a struggle trying to pull off all the sounds we wanted in the recording.  With so many people it’s great because we can always achieve a live version of what we’re doing.  And that means we don’t have to sacrifice anything else.  Traveling around it’s just like living with a giant family, which is always fun.  People are always wondering what it’s like to have so many people on the bus – it just feels like home.

JM: What would you say your songwriting inspirations are?  Do you think any of the songs are autobiographical?

CL: Yeah, it’s each person’s story that comes out in what they’re writing about.  For me, it’s very personal, but usually the inspiration comes out of nowhere.  It could be on a train somewhere…It could come from anywhere, really.  I think it’s better to write honestly though.  If you write about bullsh*t, it’s hard to relate to, you know?

JM: What do you want people to hear in your music?  What kind of impression do you want to leave on the people you play for?

CL: I’d like to leave people with some joy.  Sometimes it’s easier to write sad songs.  But writing happy songs that don’t come off as really cheesy is a really difficult thing.  We want truthfulness too.  Truthfulness, happiness and love, all of it.

JM: You guys have a new album coming out this year in May.  Are you guys sticking to the sound from the first two albums or are you branching out at all?

CL: Nah it’s definitely different.  It’s still us, but it’s way different.

JM: What are the inspirations for this new album?

CL: We went into the studio a couple years ago, so we have a lot.  We recorded 45 songs or something, since we’ve been on the road so much… We’ve been writing a bunch more recently too.  Sonically, it’s a huge album.  It’s more like the first album, maybe even a bigger sound than the first album.  I’m really excited for it to be out.

JM: Is your group preparing for this show any differently from past performances?  Given that your crowd is college students whose past few acts have been B.O.B., Far East Movement, Wiz Khalifa, and other electronic or rap artists?  How do you think this will be different?

CL: I guess you’ll find out really [laughs].  I don’t know man, I think it will be fun.

JM: So you’ll play like you always do?

CL: Oh yeah of course.  It shouldn’t be any different.  Every show will be different, but we’ll play like we always do.

JM: If somebody could only listen to two songs of yours to convince them to come see your show on Sunday, what would they be?

CL: “40 Day Dream” and “Home.”

“40 Day Dream”

“Home”

By RACHEL KLEBANOV
Staff Writer

Miracles of Modern Science—name sound familiar? Probably! This band of Princeton alums–Evan Younger ’08, Josh Hirshfeld ’08, Kieran Ledwidge ’08, Geoff McDonald ’07, Tyler Pines ’09–formed in 2005 at our very own Princeton U with modest beginnings: playing at open mic nights, Café Viv, and of course, Terrace. And to Terrace they return to grace us with their outstanding musical presence once again.

I hadn’t heard much of MOMS until now, but I gotta say, I absolutely love their sound. It is bursting with energy, something that string instruments don’t always bring to the table. (They might be the male, indie-rock, less hair-whipping version of Bond). Hit the jump for more - 

Let me throw in some simple metaphors: if their songs were paintings, they would be brightly colored with thick slashes of paint. If their songs were foods, they would be bold and flavorful—maybe spicy. They exhibit a bright, youthful quality…the sophisticated excitement of a breezy night out in New York City with the bright lights and plethora of sounds.

Characteristics of their music include soulful vocals, warm cello, and coursing string harmonies that race through your entire body when you listen closely. Sometimes wild, sometimes more subdued. They prove to be a very versatile set of musicians, able to slightly change their sound from song to song and experiment with different styles. After listening to melodic, foot tapping, heart-racing “Eating Me Alive” and the funky, staccato, slightly sad “Bossa Supernova,” I was surprised to hear a more subdued, rustic, countryside sound that would accompany fresh air and grassy hills in “Don’t You See?” Visit their website to hear all these tracks.

It’s hard to pinpoint a sound like theirs. However, MOMS does call to mind Ra Ra Riot for me—they meld the 80s new wave bass and drum and orchestral pop. A little bit of Beirut is in there as well: songs like “MOMS Away” exhibit the same bombastic sounds in their beginnings, while the baroque instrumentation, brisk strings, and build up to the chorus remind me of Arcade Fire. Overall, MoMS is a lot punchier and more explosive.

I found their covers to be especially interesting and indicative of their versatility. They cover songs from “She Drives Me Crazy” (Which I thought was phenomenal: a chiller, more melodic take on the 80s rock song) to “Call Me Maybe” (standout strings, making what I found to be a somewhat annoying song strangely beautiful.)

Perfect for a spring concert outdoors or any kind of smart casual hangout, Miracles of Modern Science is unique, lively, fun, and sophisticated all at once—I would listen to their music any day, anywhere. Check out the Daily Princetonian’s video interview with them from 2009, and come listen to them at Terrace tonight!

By RACHEL KLEBANOV
Staff Writer

What’s up Intersections?! My name is Rachel Klebanov and I hail from our very own Princeton, New Jersey, born and raised.  I am a prospective Psychology major, interested in examining visual arts and art history through a psychological/neuroscience lens. Current life status includes singing bass-line with the Princeton University Wildcats, dealing with books at Technical Services, learning Russian, and taking long walks with my iPod in tow. As for Intersections, I like to make playlists and do Terrace Previews. Hit the jump to learn more about my take on music and check out some personal playlists. 

My music taste today is pretty much all over the place, but I would say they span across three general genres: R&B/soul, Hiphop/Rap, and Rock (which is basically like, everything, I know). My music conquest began in elementary school, when I listened to 60s rock, 70s Motown, and even some 80s disco—basically anything I could find from my parents’ dusty collection. I also remember hearing music from the eating clubs, crazily enough. (Yes, I am that local.) It must have been 2003 when I first heard a muffled Usher’s “Yeah!” coming from Prospect Avenue.

Throughout middle school and the beginning of high school, I, like any other 12-15 year old, became immersed in the fascinating world of the radio and the Top 40 hits; to this day I still give them a listen. I found that I was always more drawn to the R&B or hip-hop hits, especially since I started taking hip-hop dance classes. (Holler at my boys Usher and Mario). I entered, and exited, a brief Latin-rhythm loving phase, during which I listened to a lot of Pitbull and Shakira. But I graduated from that and began to focus more on rap, really getting into R. Kelly, Jay-Z, etc. Somehow, I transferred from that to being curious about nearly opposite music: the eeriness of Radiohead, the baroque pop quality of Arcade Fire. By the end of high school, all of these tastes melded together into a cumulative appreciation for a vast majority of artists, bands, and DJs.

I know reading about how someone’s music taste developed is probably not the most interesting thing ever, so here are some playlists! A sampling of favorite songs from over the ages, and a couple of my favorite tracks right now.

By KAREN JIN
Staff Writer

If you haven’t watched Arrested Development, you’ve made a huge mistake. The critically acclaimed series was cancelled after its third season in 2006 but is making a glorious return on May 26. Fifteen new episodes will debut on Netflix on that day, and in the meantime the first three seasons are available on Netflix for your viewing pleasure. Hit the jump to find out why it’s worth your time to get stoked for its imminent return.

Arrested Development follows the dysfunctional Bluth family: there’s the level-headed Michael (Jason Bateman) and his son George Michael (Michael Cera), frozen banana salesman/child. Michael’s siblings are his superficial and materialistic twin Lindsay (Portia de Rossi), Gob (Will Arnett), a failed magician, and Buster (Tony Hale), the socially inept man-child with an Oedipus complex (Buster’s my favorite!). Their parents are George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), founder and former CEO of the Bluth Company, and Lucille (Jessica Walter), an alcoholic, domineering mother who claims to love all her children equally. Rounding out this eccentric bunch are Tobias Fünke (David Cross), Lindsay’s husband and the first licensed analrapist (analyst-therapist), and Tobias and Lindsay’s troublemaker daughter Maeby (Alia Shawkat), who cons her way into a movie exec job.

Last week, Netflix released nine teaser posters, one for each main character.  As the anticipation for and speculation about season 4 are building up, definitely check out the show if you haven’t before, and if you’re a longtime fan, there’s no better time to revisit your favorite episodes!

By JARRED MIHALIK
Senior Writer

We’ve all heard the stories about the bold risk-takers who drop out of college to create something fantastic, usually earning billions along the way.  Zach Condon decided to go further, dropping out of Santa Fe High School at the age of 17 and then traveling to Europe with his older brother in a move that most people would consider chancy to say the least.  But as Condon sings on “Payne’s Bay” off his new album The Rip Tide , he has the tendency to be very headstrong.  After hearing his music, I would have to agree.  Condon has a created singular sound in his band Beirut by combining the gorgeous and foreign melodies of world music with his own gift for instrumentation.  Hit the jump to hear some songs that should convince you to enter Beirut’s “Scenic World.”

Although he dabbled in home recordings on and off, Beirut’s first major release was his debut LP Gulag Orkestar (“Gulag” refers to the Soviet prison camps, while “Orkestar” is Slavic for orchestra).  It is still remarkable to me how convincingly  Zach Condon, a nineteen year old from New Mexico, was able to evoke the sounds of hazy Eastern European melodies and its wistfulness with stylized strumming in his songs.  I would argue that this is largely due to his musical expertise: in addition to the ukulele and flugelhorn, he can also play the mandolin, trumpet, accordion, and keyboard.  These “old-school” instruments provide a welcome contrast to the current trend in the indie music world towards electronic production.  Also, the amount of instruments present is evidence of what I believe to be Beirut’s greatest strength: his impeccable musicality.  If you’ve seen Shrek, you will understand that Beirut’s songs are like onions; they have layers upon layers.  Let’s start by listening to “Prenzlauerberg” off Gulag Orkestar.

The initial layer is the underlying accordion and tambourine, content to ebb back and forth gently.  The drums are yet another layer, keeping a peaceful beat in the background.  When Condon starts singing ten seconds into the piece, his voice is overdubbed into two separate layers: a more distinct one where the lyrics are discernible, and a gently yearning hum that colors the other voice layer.  These four layers intermix and mingle until 1:40, at which point a new layer enters: a strong trumpet voice that stands out from the other layers rather than being content to blend in.  Then at 2:26, Condon’s voice returns and the song truly becomes something amazing.  The layers are in a solemn dance, each content to play a distinct role that contributes to a song that is bigger than the sum of its parts.

Listening to Beirut often reminds me of when I played in the San Diego Youth Symphony.  As a second violin, I generally disliked having to practice by myself.  Imagine having to listen to just the accordion part of “Prenzlauerberg” for the entire three and a half minutes.  But on Saturdays during group rehearsal, everything changed.  I got to play not only with the rest of the second violins, but with the entire orchestra.  The first violins, second violins, cellos, violas, basses, trumpets, French horns, trombones, tubas, flutes, clarinets and percussion all mixed into a complete form.  Listening to all the instruments play together was infinitely better than practicing by myself, and the culminating integration of the sounds made it all worth it.  I get the same heady rush from listening to Beirut when he manages to weave his instrumentation together.  Sometimes he is content to do it slowly, as in “Elephant Gun.”

The song opens with solo ukulele, joined twenty seconds later by his voice (which by the way, is an excellent voice, second only to Matt Berninger’s of The National in my book).  Another twelve seconds later and a chorus of accordions joins in, followed later by drums and cymbals.  But the layers are still not complete.  That only occurs at the minute and twenty second mark, when trumpets and horns enter with their brazen sound.  The rest of the song is an ecstatic mix of Beirut experimenting with his instrumentation and creating a song that makes me almost want to try out for a dance group on campus.

Even Beirut’s simpler songs are beautiful.  “A Sunday Smile” off Beirut’s French-influenced second album The Flying Club Cup consists almost entirely of a slow but optimistic keyboard and a chorus of voices that gradually builds up to become a song that has the power to create both melancholy and hope.

Beirut’s third album, The Rip Tide, was released in 2011 and shows an artist who has come into full command of his music.  Whereas Gulag Orkestar and The Flying Club Cup are both albums that showcase Beirut’s take on world music, The Rip Tide is pure Beirut and painstakingly crafted.  The first single from the album, “Santa Fe,” is a bouncy hymn to Beirut’s hometown.  However, my favorite song off the album would be “East Harlem,” which immediately follows.  The steady beat, and eclectic mix of instruments all are classic Beirut.  However, the lyrics also take center stage here.  “East Harlem” is an ode to simpler times, when the distance that separated people could not be bridged by a quick phone call or instant message.  There is an almost unbearable sense of longing in present, and Beirut captures that feeling in this song perfectly.

Beirut’s instrumentation is a fantastic gift that shines through almost all of their songs.  If you enjoyed these selections, I encourage you to check out the rest of his material – you won’t be disappointed.  Leave me a message in the comments with any new favorites you find!

“Nantes” – La Blogotheque, A Take Away Show

By JEFF LIU
Contributing Writer

I grew up despising pop music. In middle school, during my (shameful) metalhead phase, I hung out with my wallflower friends in the bathroom of the school gym during dances uncomfortably chaperoned by homeroom teachers ridiculing the music coming from the speakers of the incompetent student “DJ”. One of the worst offenders was “SexyBack” off Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds: its grating, repetitive simplicity violating my ears and those of my fellow rebellious youth. But as time progressed and my music taste along with it, my insistence on listening to music that no one else liked began to fade. I gave up on the notion that artistic music had to have complex, finger-tapping riffs and surrendered my sensibilities to pop hooks and pounding beats. Soon, I realized that even Justin Timberlake could be art, and in his latest effort The 20/20 Experience, this fact is more evident than ever. 

JT’s previous effort, the aforementioned FutureSex/LoveSounds, showed an artistic growth that eluded me, since it was released during the apex of my middle school career. While songs such as “What Goes Around…Comes Around” and “Summer Love” were obvious pop hits, the nuances of producer-extraordinaire Timbaland’s stuttering, glitchy, and textured beats elevated those earworms to high art status. 20/20 maintains this artistry with beautifully detailed production, yet throws its predecessor’s pop sensibilities out the window.

That’s not to say that there aren’t any catchy melodies on this album. The hooks on lead singles “Suit & Tie” and “Mirrors” are as much of a guilty pleasure as anything Timberlake has done. However, the structure of these songs make them decidedly anti-pop. The aforementioned “Mirrors”, for example, is a daunting, not radio-friendly eight minutes long, consisting of a stadium-type pop anthem followed by a soulful, looping extended outro. The length of 20/20’s other songs is just as expansive, often consisting of multiple sections that explore variations of the song’s rhythm and melody.

Perhaps the most drastic examples of these shifts are the third and fourth tracks. In the Eastern-influenced “Don’t Hold the Wall”, for example, the second half of the song sees the shuffling bhangra drums replaced by booming bass and a club-anthem drumbeat. “Strawberry Bubblegum” undergoes the opposite transition, beginning with electronic bleeps accompanying a danceable drum machine rhythm before fading into a jazzy break with electric piano. Opener “Pusher Love Girl” also shows this type of shift, as the stuttering guitar riff and hesitant drums are substituted for a pounding boom bap beat accented by synthesized handclaps and the distinctive beatboxing of Timbaland in the second half.

The only songs with the potential for traditional pop appeal are the two shortest: the woozy love song “That Girl” and the Jay-Z assisted “Suit & Tie”. It’s still difficult to imagine middle schoolers shuffling awkwardly to these songs as they do to “SexyBack,” given the laid back, lounge quality of both songs. Jay-Z’s lethargic, phoned-in “I’m rich” verse especially will throw unsuspecting tweens off their dance game.

The album as a whole adopts the “oldies” vibe. While FutureSex/LoveSounds imagined pop in the future, 20/20 merges modern hip hop production with a nostalgic aesthetic that takes influence from the jazz lounge aesthetic. The only track that seems to contradict this standard is the decidedly experimental and futuristic closing track “Blue Ocean Floor”, which utilizes backwards instrumentals to create a sense of longing as support for Timberlake’s emotive crooning.

20/20 is an album for the poptimist: the music fan who finds artistic value within music that happens to top the charts. Though Timberlake’s latest effort is not necessarily radio-fodder, the album’s catchy grooves and melodies have an immediate impact that can be enjoyed by any lover of pop music. The album’s use of expansive track lengths filled with musical shifts that don’t shy away from drastic variations in each song, as well as its rejection of the modern pop archetype with its retro style establish the album as deserving of artistic evaluation, in spite of its immediacy. Once again, Timberlake proves that popular enjoyment and artistic integrity are not mutually exclusive.

By RACHEL KLEBANOV
Staff Writer

MORRI$, a producer from Lawrence, Kansas whose real name is Philesciono Canty, is a fresh face in the instrumental hip hop scene. If you head over to his SoundCloud, expect a blend of Washed Out, Flying Lotus, and TNGHT. There’s that ambient, chill-wave sound that swoops over you, countered by a thundering pulsating bass. It’s trap meets intelligent dance music. Genius, right? Luckily for you, MORRI$ is gracing our very own Terrace Club with his sick beats tonight. Don’t miss it.

His music always bears an air of intrigue. What’s this dude’s story? Peeking into his tumblr account, which is artsy with a hint of sophistication and sass, MORRI$ reveals that he’s been in the game for a while now. The son of a producer, he’s been  “comfortable spinning since [he] was a child.” Producing since 2005, and DJing professionally since 2008, this guy’s got some experience—this explains the experimental and complex quality of his tracks.

MORRI$’s chill-wave electronic grooves provide a sleek, modern, and almost jazzy sound. Check “Rashida Jones,” my favorite track (see below): it’s silky smooth yet bold, with all kinds of spicy flavor. Honestly, it’s like the instrumental reaction of a guy upon seeing a fine lady (in this case, Rashida). Its sound is super fresh, you’ll probably never heard anything like it before.

While he does make beats for rappers like Le1f, his music can be enjoyed without an emcee over it. Whether you blast it loud at party, jam out to it in the car, or have it playing in the background wherever, MORRI$’s music is versatile and avant-garde. Definitely check him out tonight!

Update: due to the fact that the lovely pre-frosh are here on campus, this event will most likely be members only. Our apologies if we got anyone excited about it who can’t come!

If I ever decided to leave premature spinsterhood, I would live the love story of Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou. They went to art school. They started the band Indigo Moss. They fell in love. Indigo Moss fell apart. They got married. And they decided to just duet and tour about the English countryside in candlelit churches. Bliss.

Other cool things they have done include but are not limited to: opening their own label, The Anglophone Recording Company, with which they also produce cute, documentary-esque videos; starting their own radio show, “The Lantern Society Radio Hour”; and touring by canal boat. 

But that is not the end of their cuteness. Last April, the adorable British couple loaded up their rickety old car and headed to a little quaint farm in the charming Pays de la Loire region in northwestern France. Quelle jolie! On the way to the farm, the resplendent couple  (I’m running out of synonyms for “cute”) began writing songs. I imagine they sang with the voice of the wind and river god in mind. They also probably ate miniature apples and took driving breaks to sit alongside a clear pond on blankets quilted by their great grandmothers. Once at their farm, they unloaded their gear and got to work for ten days. “Work”=writing music, riding bicycles, playing music, eating other miniature fruits, and recording music on cassettes. And thus, their latest album La Ferme de Fontenaille was born.

The album itself reflects the entire quaint farm experience. It is peaceful, a little sad but with catharsis, and whimsical. While my play level on iTunes I extremely variable, the album as a whole is beautiful: masterfully sung and plucked. The harmonies are rich, as Hannah-Lou’s high, clear voice mixes with Trevor’s nasally, old-timey one.

By GABBIE WATTS
Staff Writer

The song with the particularly high count is “A Proud Surrender.” It starts with Trevor counting off into a slow 3-count, and it quickly turns into one of those sad cathartic things I was talking about. Nothing turns out as you thought it would. Is there such thing as a proud surrender? I have no idea, but it is certainly a pleasing song.

What comes in a (not-that-) close second is “The Day the Rebel in me Dies.” Then, “For A Minute There” and “Two strangers.” These tracks are more upbeat and get that whimsical qualification. “The Day the Rebel in me Dies” even features some subtle tambourine, so you know it’s good.

Oh, how I love British people.

Here is their video for “A Proud Surrender” that features the documentary on the making of the album by Trevor.

By JARRED MIHALIK
Senior Writer

So the new Strokes’ album is finally here.  Aside from mbv, it is arguably the most anticipated album of the year so far—and the media outlets have reacted unfortunately predictably.  They have dusted their old opinions off, and reaffirmed the blandly uniform view held toward The Strokes since the release of 2007’s First Impressions of Earth. Inevitably, it seems that The Strokes’ work will be overwhelmingly seen in the light of their previous work, and while that’s not a bad thing usually, in this case I believe it has gone too far.  Thus I’ve made the decision to review this album by focusing on primarily the album (hint: It’s not called Is This It).  Hit the jump to see how Comedown Machine fits in with the trajectory of The Strokes.

If you want to, you can read a well written account of the band for the album’s preview over at Stereogum, but I can summarize it for you in a few short bullets.

1.  In June 2001, God reaches down from the heavens and grants Julian Casablancas divine powers.  One month later, The Strokes release Is This It to critical claim and commercial success while also transforming the fashion world.  World domination seems imminent.

2.  In 2003, some of Casablancas’ power still lingers.  The Strokes release Room on Fire, another extremely good album that mostly carries on the sound from Is This It.

3.  In 2006, God abandons The Strokes.  They release First Impressions of Earth, which is a mediocre album.  The critics pounce.  The future looks bleak.

4.  In 2011, The Strokes for whatever reason decide to release another album that is still yet not anywhere close to the brilliance of Is This It.  The critics are baffled.  Angles is produced with more electronic samples and synthesizers and fails to reverse the band’s streak.  People cry in the streets.

That’s the picture so far.

Sonically, Comedown Machine feels not that much different many other grungy rockers released in the past couple of years.  What sets it apart is the combination of Casablancas’ vocals and the ability of the band to create multilayered, complex guitar rhythms.  In essence, this is what also what made Is This It so special – it just did it at a time when there weren’t any other bands doing what they were doing.  With the advent of other bands like Phoenix, The Strokes were met with some competition.  Maybe this rattled the band, but in any case, First Impressions of Earth and Angles were not the huge missteps that some people made them out to be.  First Impressions simply needed some better editing and a more focused sound.  Angles sounded like too much of an experiment, especially with the band members recording their pieces separately.  Comedown Machine avoids both pitfalls.

On the my first listen, I noted that that band sounds a lot more like a band again.  Instruments build off each other while Casablancas’ vocals sit in the passenger seat, neither ahead of nor behind the band’s sound.  The album’s playtime (as noticeably displayed on the cover) comes in at just under forty minutes. And finally, each song has a certain amount of undeniable self-assurance.  The Strokes were hyped up so much following their breakthrough, and in the mercurial music world it’s generally impossible to follow that kind of success.  It is impossible to know exactly what the band was thinking during the release and subsequent drubbing of First Impressions and Angles, but I would like to think I knew their mindset as they approached their fifth album.  Sure, The Strokes could have released another Is This It-esque creation, but I don’t believe the band wants to be burdened with such hyperbole ever again.  They titled this album Comedown Machine, and so far it seems to be fulfilling its purpose.  The Strokes are coming down to earth and level ground, avoiding both stratospheric fame and the depths of infamy.  Look at the album title.  RCA (the record label) is featured the most prominently, with the band name and album title in smaller font below.  And to top it off, the band has been uniformly silent about the album’s release.  There were no secret television previews a la Daft Punk, and they are not planning to tour in support of the album.  To put it succinctly, Comedown Machine is a solid, unassuming album from The Strokes, and it’s their first one ever.

That doesn’t mean that the album itself is of uniform quality though.  On the first few listens, I definitely had favorite songs, songs that made me lose interest, and songs that I wouldn’t have ever picked to be on a Strokes album.  Opener “Tap Out” has an interesting and spacey melodic line, but would have benefitted from a much stronger guitar line and I was never pulled fully into the song.  Some people have already cited this as a breakthrough song though, so perhaps I’m missing something.  “All the Time” is another passable song, but mostly comes off as an imitation of earlier days of The Strokes.  It would have fit well on Room on Fire, but I don’t think it belongs here.

Things really kick into gear with “One Way Trigger,” whose bouncy electronic melody presents the first truly recognizable sounds of the album.  Casablancas’ voice sounds achingly sweet soaring under the melodies, but unfortunately it’s still almost impossible to understand what he’s saying.  No matter.  Combined with some good guitar bits, this makes for a great song.  Follow up “Welcome to Japan” is also welcome, with Casablancas’ wry lyrics and voice dripping with a certain amount of threatening carelessness (I didn’t want to bore you; Didn’t wanna pick up your shit for you).  The build-up throughout the song is precisely measured and pays off.  The album then takes a breather with “80’s Comedown Machine” whose methodical pace is more listenable than would be expected.  Echoes of Casablancas singing So please…run away again and again introduce a believably melancholy feeling into the album.

“50/50” jolts the listener from the reverie of “80’s Comedown Machine,” with a much brasher sound that doesn’t translate as well as it should.  It’s another throwback to earlier Strokes days, but doesn’t succeed in the same way “All the Time” does.  “Slow Animals” and “Partners in Crime” are both listenable songs, but fail to leave much of an impression.

“Chances” is another slower, ballad-esque song that seems mostly to serve as an opportunity for Casablancas to break out his falsetto, which isn’t a bad thing.  I enjoyed listening to the background instrumentals behind his voice, which gives this song infinitely more replay value.   The album’s penultimate song is excellent “Happy Ending,” whose intermix of rollicking guitars and vocals present a varied and exciting sound.  I wish it had been placed earlier in the album, but with a title like this I guess that was a long shot.  The closing track “Call it Fate, Call it Karma” on the other hand is a question mark.  It reminds me of the last song off Angles (and my favorite of the album) “Life is Simple in the Moonlight” with its slow pace and fuzzy vocals.  Maybe because of the excellence of the previous song though, this last song fails to close the album well for me.

Comedown Machine is a solid effort for the band, something that would have seemed strange a few years ago given that this band is The Strokes.  They’ve had an up-and-down history, and their five album recording contract with RCA just ended, so the future is uncertain.  If they keep making albums like this though, I’ll be very happy.

“All The Time”