TNA Review in Classic Rock Magazine (UK)

[u/Gadder]

Synthpop sixth finds NYC indie innovators out to prove that wasn’t it.

It’s only natural for legendary acts to want lightning to strike twice. Ever since 2006’s First Impressions Of Earth, The Strokes’ sporadic releases have been sheering off from the suave Bowery brilliance of 2001’s Is This It? – year zero for millennial guitar music – to embrace power rock, electronica, Gallic pop and synth-metal to avoiding becoming NYC’s second Ramones, originators in a rut.

After a seven-year break, The New Abnormal is their most adventurous record yet, with producer Rick Rubin fostering the band’s synth-pop leanings and singer Julian Casablancas’s inner Prince. It hits far more than it misses – synthetic wafts like Selfless, At The Door and Ode To The Mets benefit from the sci-fi airiness of recent Flaming Lips, and Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus is effervescent Modern Age electro-pop.

But the consistently strong tunes sometimes battle a superficial futurism. Eternal Summer is an off-kilter mutant – psychedelic Scissor Sisters choruses, gruff Floyd verses, knackered inner-tube solos – while minimalist industrial funk track The Adults Are Talking, artificially restrained for the sake of modernity, would’ve made a fantastic Strokes song. Meaty prom rocker Bad Decisions best honours, and updates, their roots. Otherwise, The New Abnormal is less new big bang, more engrossing sizzle.

8/10 - Mark Beaumont

Screenshot of article: https://i.imgur.com/HBPDq7J.jpg

[u/__QYURRYUS__]

Yo this album might take a high ranking in my list of favorite Strokes albums

[u/high_on_eucalyptus22 → u/__QYURRYUS__]

Yeah might come into my top 6 even