It's been three long years since the Strokes put out an album. In that time period, guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. has released two moderately successful albums, bass player Nikolai Fraiture has ventured out with Nickel Eye, and drummer Fabrizio Morettli united with the indie band Little Joy.
Finally, Strokes singer, Julian Casablanca emerges from the shadows of his band mates and breaks his silence with his solo attempt – “Phrazes for the Young.”
With “Phrazes” Casablanca wipes away the dive bar grime from the Strokes in favor of a more cleaned up approach.
By doing this he creates a candy-coated world filled with electro-pop synths, exaggerated bass lines, and even a little banjo twang. It’s this diversity of sound from the King of indie-grunge that makes this album so interesting.
Without its organic and unique feel it would most likely just be deemed as Casablanca’s soft attempt to recreate the magic of the Strokes, but no, “Phrazes” is something entirely more.
Making it apparent right out of the gates, Casablanca opens up the album with a song full of color and energy – “Out of the Blue” begs to be found in a Wes Anderson movie.
The apparent single, “11th Dimension,” is by far the albums catchiest song with its Daft Punk-esque beats and exuberant charm, but it’s the closing song “Tourist” that captures the entire theme of “Phrazes” – that of variety.
The song, which features an array of sounds and instruments, is not afraid to be bold with its chugging power riffs while at the same time still staying elegant and playful with its “It’s A Small World”- style synth floating throughout its background.
Even if the indie rockers from New York fail to ever reunite, its releases like this that make the notion of them staying dormant so tolerable.
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