There simply couldn’t have been a better time for The Strokes’ coincidentally-titled album, “The New Abnormal” to drop.
Released in the midst of the most uncertain time in recent history, the legendary New York City-based rock outfit inspires nostalgia for simpler days, reviving Albert Hammond Jr.’s trademark punchy and complex guitar riffs with frontman Julian Casablancas’ best vocal performances in more than a decade.
After a seven-year hiatus following their last full-length LP, The Strokes have returned to the modern rock scene they created. The band’s 2001 debut “Is This It,” and their 2003 follow-up, “Room on Fire,” are considered critically acclaimed modern classics and perhaps the most influential rock records of the 21st century with their seamless and catchy blends of elements from influences like Billy Idol, Television and The Cars.
Nobody can stay at the top forever, however, and the band’s infrequent releases in the 2010s didn’t quite reach the level of their first two records. Their last release before 2020 was an underwhelming EP titled “Future Present Past,” where the band seemed to have burned out while chasing the sound that brought them so much success.
The nine tracks of near-perfection on “The New Abnormal” reestablish The Strokes as the 2000’s representative on the rock music pantheon.
The first 10 seconds of the record are a shot of dopamine for any longtime listeners of the band. The opening track, “The Adults Are Talking,” opens with a nostalgic guitar lick and continues with a catchy chorus that would fit right in on “Is This It.”
The dueling guitars truly shine on this track, blending the familiar identity of the band with some of rock’s evolutions since their hiatus, namely the drum machines and synth breaks.
Casablancas’ rarely used falsetto voice, still intact at 41 years old, gets its chance to shine on “Eternal Summer.”
It’s sure to be the album’s most divisive track. It’s a melting pot of the chorus from “The Ghost in You” by The Psychedelic Furs, who have a writing credit, a bridge that would fit perfectly in Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” and vocal effects that align with any modern pop rock song. The blend works far better than you might assume.
This merged style is especially apparent in “Why Are Sundays So Depressing.” On its face, the track sounds ripped straight out of the band’s first two records, but those signature guitars are laced with strange effects.
Some fit in well, like the digital flickering on the lead guitar in the verses. But on the chorus, an abrasive and obnoxious scratching sound appears over the catchy guitar work. It’s not enough to ruin this fantastic summertime track, but the song would be better without it.
Perhaps the only fault or nitpick that anyone could find to critique in The Strokes’ discography is the lack of ambitious, grandiose album closers that many of the great bands in rock history have in their repertoire.
“Ode To the Mets” fixes that. Not only is it far-and-away the band’s most epic finale in their six-album catalog, it might be their best song, period.
The track recovers from an odd synth intro and shifts beautifully into a simple and soft Hammond Jr. riff. After the drums kick in, Casablancas’ voice switches from low and soft-spoken to his signature rasp.
Hammond Jr.’s guitar shines throughout as it evolves, with more somber work than what Strokes fans are used to, but it fits. Casablancas’ vocals are as strong as ever, combining emotional lyrics with the voice to match.
The outro bookends the album beautifully. As the album progressed, the familiar turned to a new frontier for the group and that’s all fans can ask for in a comeback record.
It’s unknown if this album marks the end of the road for these modern rock pioneers, but if it is, “Ode To the Mets” couldn’t have forged a better finish.
Although “The New Abnormal” reveals that the band still has plenty left in its creative tank, it’s nearly impossible to imagine a better ending to the band’s story.
It’s easily their most unabashedly emotional album and it’s clear that the band, as influential as they are, can still learn from contemporaries like Beach House and Car Seat Headrest.
There is nothing particularly innovative or experimental about the album, but that’s just not what The Strokes do. They perfect the genre with their influences displayed on their chests and set new standards for rock music.
As we face the biggest challenge in many of our lifetimes, the 45 minutes of this record are a more-than-welcome escape. “The New Abnormal” is an instant classic and a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
