New Angles

Let me start off by saying that it has been quite a while. I've been neglecting this here blog and it upsets me. I look at it every day to check out the daily facebook challenges that I do, but other than that, it just sits here. I vow to get back on the ball and post as much as possible. I'll give myself a realistic goal, like once a week as opposed to every day, because that doesn't always work, as we have witnessed... But, before the month of March is over, I'll give the world one more post.

I know I am days upon days upon days late in talking about this, but, seeing as I am such a big fan, I feel the need to express to the world my feelings on the fourth studio album by The Strokes, Angles. Strokes fans everywhere have been waiting years for this album to come out. The world thought The Strokes were no more, with just about every member doing his own thing (for example, the always wonderful Boombox by The Lonely Island featuring Jules. Fingerless gloves, anyone?) When the world got word that the crew were joining forces once again to create another piece of art, people were ecstatic. I admit, I spazzed quite a bit myself.

Then came Angles. The first single, Under Cover of Darkness, didn't move me right off the bat. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. But I had just finished listening to Trying Your Luck, and was expecting something equally as epic. Womp... Later on, about a week before the album actually came out, I was hearing "meh" reviews about the album. I didn't think too much about it, though. People were saying similar things about the previous album, First Impressions of Earth, which I happen to be pretty fond of. (recommended tracks: Ize of the World and Evening Sun) However, when I finally nabbed myself a copy of Angles, it lived up to its very early reputation. It was more or less "meh." It wasn't like Trying Your Luck, What Ever Happened, or any other epically funky piece of art from my favorite band. It was just alright... I was shocked. All that anticipation for this?

Once again, I'm not saying it was bad. It was just different. I think that's what made it so "meh." As demonstrated with other albums, such as Sir Cudi's MotM2, it wasn't what people were expecting based on what art was made before. It was different and went against expectations, and wasn't really accepted so easily. I will say that, after a while, it started to grow on me. I have definitely established a favorite song (Life is Simple in the Moonlight, ftw), and I can mostly listen to the album all the way through. I may skip a song, but it's not too bad. I think what's so different about Angles is the sound they captured in comparison to the other albums. The first three definitely had some elements of 70s-esque rock, but Angles is straight out of the 80s. Even the cover art is vibrant and colorful and has that pre-digital feel that ran rampant through that decade. I think it's pretty cool actually, seeing as I have a thing for the 80s... Which may be part of the reason the album grew on me so quickly. I swear I grew up in the wrong decade... Also, with a new sound came a new look....

<-- Here are the sexy full-haired bastards I know and love.

Who the fuck are these guys? -->

Well. Maybe it's not so bad. But, dudes. The hair.. C'mon....

Basically, Angles gets a "meh." Maybe Jules and the gang will come back with something more magical, more awesome, less meh...

And, as a treat, here is their performance of my jam on Saturday Night Live.

That's all for now, kiddos. Happy listening.

♥

Word of the Day

lucre [LOO-kuhr] noun: monetary gain, profit, riches -- often in a bad sense.