CD Review: Julian Casablancas

Posted on Nov. 12, 2009, at 1:49 a.m.

The Strokes have made three killer albums. Unfortunately, the last one, “First Impressions of Earth,” was released in 2006 and there is little evidence their next album is due anytime soon.

Luckily, lead singer/songwriter Julian Casablancas has recently released a new Strokes album. Whoops, I mean he released his “solo album.”

Sorry for the confusion, it’s just that “Phrazes for the Young” sounds like it could easily be The Strokes. It is the logical next step in their transition to a more produced, electronic sound, and with Casablancas’ easily-recognizable vocals, who can tell the difference?

Sure, some of guitarist Nick Valensi’s melodic riffs have moved from guitar to synth and the songs display a bit more variety, but the same formula is there.

Despite Casablancas’ inability to drastically change his songwriting style, he does do a lot right. The album’s true strength comes when it strays from traditional Strokes rock. Its energy comes from originality instead of his connection to the band, which most solo artists rely on.

The longest song in The Strokes’ studio catalog hits 4 minutes, 39 seconds. Only one song on “Phrazes” — the single “11th Dimension” — falls below this duration at just over 4 minutes, while most songs average around 5 minutes. To be fair, the album has only eight tracks. But still, listeners are treated to much more complex compositions.

Casablancas’ solo work spirals around you, tantalizing your eardrums, whereas The Strokes beat you in the face with four loud, distorted chords. His tobacco-scarred voice still spits out nonsensical wailings — lyrics that make little sense sung in melodies that are catchy as hell.

He can’t escape The Strokes in the up-tempo songs. He may be playing most of the instruments himself, but he definitely learned how to play them from his bandmates. The opener “Out of the Blue” features the same eighth-note pulse that is on nearly every track on “Is This It?” while “Left & Right in the Dark” is characterized by an echoey ’80s guitar riff — think Flock of Seagulls — and more synth than you can handle.

The songs made for the dance floor fall just short of the magic on Franz Ferdinand’s last album, but when he slows things down he really shines. The Strokes aren’t much for ballads, so when Casablancas croons over the blues-driven “4 Chords of the Apocalypse” it’s a breathtaking realization of just how talented this man is.

After that he surprises again, with a country romp full of some furious guitar and banjo pickin’.

The final two tracks are where he hits his stride, combining the perfect amount of electro and rock in both down-tempo songs.

“Phrazes for the Young” is not a Strokes album in the way it sounds, merely it’s overall feel. Judging by the band’s last record, an evolution of their sound would most likely end up being something like Casablancas’ album. It is a welcome change, but perhaps it is for the best these songs have been released under the guise of a solo effort.

The album is great, but with any luck, Casablancas has been saving all of his best material for The Strokes’ next album.

Grade: B

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 12th, 2009, 1:49 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.