The Strokes' seventh album, Reality Awaits, marks a triumphant return after six years, blending the crackpot strangeness of Julian Casablancas' side project the Voidz with the band's signature pop minimalism. The result is a playful, joyous record that stands as their best in years.
A Fusion of Two Worlds
To understand Reality Awaits, one must first understand the Voidz, Casablancas' other band that has taken up much of his time. While fans may have been put off by the Voidz's 2014 debut Tyranny, subsequent work like 2018's Virtue has shown a crowd-pleasing, experimental zone where Casablancas delivers some of his most energized performances. This fusion of Voidz's strangeness and Auto-Tune fondness with the Strokes' minimalism and pop melodicism defines the new album.
Highlights and Performances
The album features some of Casablancas' funniest and most interesting performances in years, including warbling about John Legend and Josh Groban, and borderline screaming phrases like “and in a hundred thousand years from now!” to fit an old-timey Strokes melody. Tracks like “Going to Babble On” showcase heartfelt moments reminiscent of the band's debut. The rhythm section is tighter than ever, with Casablancas remaining a compelling frontman at the core.
“Going Shopping” rides a yacht rock groove with Nick Valensi's increasingly intense noodling, while “The Fruits of Conquest” revives the sinister 80s sleaze of 2011's Angles with conviction. The album's production is cleaner and more tuneful, retrofitting the Voidz's madcap experimentalism into a joyful sound.
A Minor Misstep
The album's closer, “Tyrants of the Mellow Moon,” feels formless and ambling compared to the rest of the record, with Casablancas' Auto-Tuned vocals opposing the band's moody soundscape. It's the only moment where his Voidziness threatens to eclipse his Strokesiness. Despite this, the alignment of both sides is a victory, suggesting the band has much more road to explore.
