This year marks the 25th anniversary of Is This It - an album that was already being described as world-changing on the day of its release. Interestingly, despite the passing years and a few weaker moments in their discography, The Strokes are still at the top. You can see it in the warm reception given to their previous album, The New Abnormal, and The Adults Are Talking, their first real hit in years. You can also see it in how quickly they continue to sell out their tours. I also get the sense that people still expect another revolution from The Strokes - one that will transform the rock scene all over again. But I think they are looking in the wrong place.
Of course, I also hope The Strokes still have an album in them that will redefine their sound without cutting them off from their roots. Nobody needs convincing that they are capable of it. Julian Casablancas, who shaped the band’s first three albums, still knows how to write great songs. In recent years, his bandmates have increasingly joined him in writing them. The Strokes have also recorded some interesting and unexpected songs in the past, such as Call It Fate, Call It Karma from Comedown Machine and Ode to the Mets, which closed their previous album. What have they been missing? A spark - preferably from outside the band - that could push them in a new direction.
Reality Awaits is the second Strokes album made with Rick Rubin. To some, he is a genius. To others, an overrated producer. Whatever you think of him, he helped the band refresh their sound on The New Abnormal and bring the whole record together. The result was their most interesting album since First Impressions of Earth. There was no revolution and no major surprise, but it had several genuinely strong moments.
And that brings us to the problem. Reality Awaits simply lacks a song even half as good as The Adults Are Talking or Selfless - something that could carry the album and stay with the listener. There is the promising Dine N’Dash, while Going to Babble On sounds almost like a rewrite of 12:51. But that is nowhere near enough. Then there is the unnecessary Auto-Tune that appears on several tracks and distracts from the songs’ strongest qualities. You can hear it on the single Going Shopping and Lonely in the Future—a song that could otherwise have been genuinely great. Yes, I know. I have listened to The Voidz, and Casablancas’ voice works well with the effect there. With The Strokes, however, I prefer it dirty and garagey.
Oddly enough, the best song here is the six-minute Falling Out of Love, which develops beautifully. At first, it seems sleepy and drawn out, but there is a lot happening in the background behind Julian’s haunting falsetto. It is difficult to tear yourself away from it. Overall, I think Rick Rubin did a good job with the material he had at his disposal. Reality Awaits sounds deep, and the songs are arranged in interesting ways. What it lacks is strong songwriting. Unfortunately, that leaves the album far behind the band’s best work. Reality Awaits will probably sit closer to Angles and Comedown Machine - albums that even The Strokes themselves rarely revisit onstage. For me, it is a step backwards after the solid The New Abnormal.