Phrazes For The Young

by

Julian Casablancas

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Not many albums out there like this today. Awesome blend of pop, synth, rock, classic, r&b, and just about anything else you can think of. The lyrics are often good, sometimes great, sometimes lacking. The solos range from VERY GOOD (Glass) to VERY BAD (River of Brakelights). Julian is obviously the brains behind The Strokes, and his solo effort completely overshadows any of the other members' works. This man is just on another level.

1) Out of the Blue - Good lyrics, decent music, sounds like something you would find on a Strokes album except for the added synth. Good way to open up the album but nothing really too special. 8/10

2) Left & Right in the Dark - One of my favorite tracks on the album. It has a very catchy chorus and really does well in building up energy. This is one of the poppier sounding songs on the album. 10/10

3) 11th Dimension - Awesome first single. Really shows Julian knows how to write a very radio friendly dance track that makes you want move around a bit haha. The lyrics on this one are among the best on the album. It seems to reflect a lot of how Julian was a shy person and all that stuff. 10/10

4) 4 Chords of the Apocalypse - This song kind of reminds me of a bluesy Beatles song, especially around the chorus. The music isn't anything that really jumps out at you but the lyrics are decent and the overall mood of the song really breaks up the album pretty well. 8/10

5) Ludlow st. - This was one of the songs used on the preview video for the album, and as such I expected it to be a stand out track. It's not. If there was one song I could do without on this album, it would be this one. Not to say it's a bad song, but following 4 Chords up with this track doesn't make much sense to me. Ludlow st seems to be building up to something the entire track but it never gets there. It reminds me a lot of "On the Otherside" off "First Impressions of Earth" so if you like that, maybe you'll like this? 6/10

6) River of Brakelights - Although I didn't love it right away, this is probably my favorite track on the album at this point. The solo is AWFUL but the rest of the song more than makes up for it. The lyrics are the best of the album, the music is awesome, the way it builds is awesome, Jules' screaming the chorus is awesome. Great song. 10/10

7) Glass - Probably my second favorite track on the album. This one was also used on the promo for the album but unlike Ludlow st, it definitely lives up to my anticipation of it being a stand out track. The lyrics are pretty good, the beat is great, the solo is AMAZING. This songs creates a very cool atmosphere and that's where it really stands out. 10/10

8) Tourist - Although I don't love the chorus so much, the verse is awesome. The beat is amazing on this one, it's a great track to close the album out on. Kinda makes me wish there were more than 8 tracks. 9/10

Well I will start by saying I enjoyed the album. Its actually awesome that the Strokes split up and gave us all these great albums. (Little Joy, Nickel Eye, Albert Hammond Jr, Megapuss). Its a darn good album it gets 3 1/2 stars in my opinion. I think a 4 star album should be a contender for album of the year (so if you feel that way by all means give it 4 stars, i don't feel that way about this album though), and i think 5 star means its close to perfect/a classic you will hear about years from now. This album is definitely not a 5 star album. But don't get me wrong its still darn good and Strokes fans will like it. I just want to balance the reviews out a bit, since i think 5 stars is a strong statement for this album.

I also see a lot of people say how creative and genius this album is... Well I hate to sound so negative (i gave it 3 1/2 stars after all!) but this sound is just the Strokes done electronically. Its not something new, its just the band sound replaced by Julian doing electronic Strokes in a studio... Which isn't bad, but I don't understand the praise of it either. There is a drum machine through out which gets real old by the time you are done with the whole album. And the lyrics/Julian's voice are IDENTICAL to Strokes stuff; so again by the end i was bored with his voice. I hate to sound negative on it but again i feel the need for balance in reviews...

Personally I think if you are looking for "creative" or new from the Strokes I would go with Albert Hammond Jr's album(s)which i enjoyed more than this; they have much more diversity, stray further from Strokes territory, and he changes up his singing style more often. Also Fabrizio Moretti joined Little Joy and Megapuss showing he obviously has talent as a drummer and those albums are super fun and well done as well. Nickel Eye is Nikolai Fraiture's solo project, and to tell the truth I would rather listen to Julian's album here, but I would have to argue that Nikolai Fraiture's is actually way more creative (different from strokes) and shows more talent on paper than Julian's.

This wasn't a hate rant, I gave it 3 1/2 stars, its good! :) I just felt like responding to some of the other reviews. Just reading the glowing praise in some of them i dont see this album as steps above the other guys stuff.... In some aspects it falls short in my opinion. i say if you like the Strokes, this is perfect for you. I also say give all the side projects a try, and if rumors are true they are gonna make a new Strokes album again soon, so we all benefited in my eyes!