Whip out your dark shades, leather jacket and unrevealing smile because The Strokes are back. In the group’s first release since 2013’s “Comedown Machine,” the indie garage rock band does nothing more than what’s made it timeless: head-nodding rhythms and gritty guitar that screams “I’m edgy enough to like The Strokes.” Future Present Past is the perfect three-songs-and-a-remix collection to deep cleanse from sugary pop without giving up summer vibes.
While far from revolutionary, or even experimental, Future Present Past captures the essence of The Strokes’s “too-cool” attitude. “Drag Queen” enters with an almost foreboding guitar line that begs to be paired with a high-speed chase and tinted windows. Julian Casablancas’ signature muddied, distorted vocals are darker and more topical than the instrumental suggests.
“Jail, that’s what you get / Stepping to the system,” he sings. “Profiting from war / Fighting as the victim.”
“Threat of Joy” puts the lyric-music dynamic on its head, switching the pace to a lighter, swinging melody reminiscent of “Is This I,t” “Someday” and “Soma.” Casablancas turns the conversation to his personal life, his wife and struggles as an older man with more responsibilities.
“That’s how it goes, I guess,” he opens with a twinge of bitterness. “F— the rest. Be right there honey!”
But you can hardly catch his angst underneath the bright guitar pop that slows down the racing EP and shines as the laid-back, cheery standout.
Future Past Present‘s downfall is The Strokes’ decision to play it safe. “Drag Queen” runs into “OBLIVIUS,” a slightly faster, more dance-y version of its predecessor. Each song could fit perfectly on any of The Strokes’ early 2000s releases. While modern music has shifted, this EP refuses to venture out of the vague lyrics and angry bass that marked the group’s rise to popularity in the golden era of alt-rock. While met expectations make it easy to settle into the songs, it’s hard not to wonder what the band could create with a little creative push, and how long they can stay relevant with an approach of satisfying predictability.
Or could giving the people what they want be the smartest way to extend an aging band’s shelf life? After all, new releases by classic rock bands are bypassed even by younger fans for hits that will live on indefinitely. Maybe old-sounding Strokes is simply the best “new” Strokes. In that case, Future Past Present gives us a refreshing way to relive the glory days.
