Climbing Up Your Wall

The Strokes “The Adults Are Talking”

The Strokes is the type of act where the aesthetic premise is always the same – electronic music but played with rock instruments as rock songs – but the approach and execution changes. The interesting thing about their new record The New Abnormal is how that high concept, which was fairly subtle at the start of their career, has become foregrounded to the point where some of the songs just sound like techno without rock and roll obfuscation. “The Adults Are Talking” doesn’t go quite that far, but the precise click of the percussion and clacking of the trebly guitar notes is exaggeratedly robotic, even for them. The more notable shift in this song is in Julian Casablancas’ vocal, which sound remarkably relaxed and smooth for a guy who sounds somewhat distressed most of the time. The more subtle and seductive tone suits him well, particularly in a song that simmers rather than burns.

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