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ShareJulian Casablancas’s solo debut is dressed up with 80s-inspired synths and power-pop guitar, but underneath it’s a bare-bones country album.
Take opener Out Of The Blue, a downtrodden tale of regret and busted friendships built around four chords and a simple 4/4 beat. Or Ludlow St., a waltzy, booze-soaked ode to getting wasted. There are liberal doses of Leonard Cohenish turns of phraze. Cohen, too, took his tales of longing from the C&W tradition.
This isn’t a strike against the Strokes singer. The album adheres to a less-is-best philosophy, and the songs sound effortless. It’s simple, straightforward and immediate, just like the first Strokes album.
Top track: Out Of The Blue
NOW | November 3-10, 2009 | VOL 29 NO 10
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