By: McKenzie Sussman
With old and monotonic melodies, “The New Abnormal” fails to bring new and unique beats into their album.
Since “The New Abnormal” is the Strokes first album in seven years, listeners expected that their music would have evolved since their last album, but this was not the case. “The New Abnormal” picks off where the previous album, “Comedown Machine” left off, leaving the listeners with conventional tones.
The Strokes is an American Rock band from New York City that formed in 1998. The band is composed of singer Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti. The band’s debut album, “Is This It” was ranked no. 8 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time.
“The New Abnormal” is the sixth studio album by The Strokes. Produced by Rick Rubin through Cult and RCA Records, this album is the band’s first album in seven years. Two singles from the album, “At the Door” and “Bad Decisions,” were released on Feb. 11 and Feb. 18, respectively.
“The New Abnormal” enocmpasses a casual vibe with mellow beats and soothing lyrics. Each song seems to flow together with barely any unique changes in each song, leaving the listener disappointed.
Because of the tranquil beats that “The New Abnormal” brings, the songs are repetitive. The songs seem to have the exact same beats and melodies which washes out each song. It’s hard to distinguish one song from another because of the albums repetitive nature.
Casablancas has a very peaceful voice that allows listeners to listen to his voice forever. The lyrics are meaningful and ask the listeners questions, such as “Can the dark side light my way out?” in the song, “Selfless.”
“Why Are Sunday’s So Depressing” has a catchy beat that is different from the other songs in the album and contains significant lyrics that are centered around love. Listeners are able to relate to the lyrics, while tapping their foot to the engrossing instrumentals.
“The Adults Are Talking” has a completely different beat than the rest of the songs on the album. It is more upbeat, and fast paced, but still maintains calming lyrics. This song adds variety to the album with fresh, new sounds and melodies.
Although The Strokes attempts to create unique beats, the album is repetitive and shows no sign of evolution from past albums. The mellow tracks and relaxing lyrics allow for an enk=joyable listen, but the album itself lacks individuality.
Released on Apr. 10, “The New Abnormal” can be purchased on iTunes for $9.99 and can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, and Youtube.
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