The Strokes – Reality Awaits
On Reality Awaits, The Strokes have fun exploring… sometimes hitting the mark, sometimes not
Following up 2020’s widely praised The New Abnormal was always going to be a tough ask for one of indie’s all-time greats. Six years on, The Strokes have taken their time on their seventh studio album, Reality Awaits. Their guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. has deemed it as his favourite album the band have ever made. Upon release, however, it may not be everyone's.
Album opener Psycho Shit declares that the band are diverting from their norms more than ever; however, its sluggish pace and five-and-a-half-minute length would make it seem better placed further down the tracklist. Notably, bandleader Julian Casablancas blends the quirkier, autotune-laden elements of his side project The Voidz into this latest music. The capitalism-loathing Going Shopping, Lonely in the Future and Falling Out of Love highlight these fusions best.
There are elements of old-school Strokes too: Dine N’Dash thrums with the band’s synonymous staccato riffs, while The Fruits of Conquest’s neat melodies and lyrics on political disillusionment soar. There’s no need for The Strokes to emulate what they’ve already done. Instead, on Reality Awaits, they're having fun exploring… sometimes hitting the mark, sometimes not.
Listen to: Dine N’Dash, The Fruits of Conquest