Disappointing effort.
When The Strokes released Angles in 2011 it was met with some mixed reviews, as people began to question the band's new direction, which appeared to totally move away from the sound on their very successful first three albums. With Comedown Machine they have stuck to their guns, continuing to focus on some of the weird futuristic electronic sounds, this time though breaking it up a bit more often with tracks delivering more of the classic sound which made them so huge. It is important for any band to develop and experiment with their sound, but with The Strokes it can feel like they've swayed too far in the other direction, leaving the potential to alienate large sections of their fan base a very real risk.
Frankly, Comedown Machine is another disappointing effort. Yes, the band showcase all these new sounds and deliver quite an array of different songs, but it all just makes it feel very disjointed. This album just feels like a bunch of tracks the band had found leftover from the past, tweaked them a little bit and just stuck them all together onto one CD.
It lacks the fluidity of the earlier records, with tracks like opener Tap Out and One Way Trigger being so offensive to your ears you can't help but start questioning "what the hell happened to The Strokes"? It's a shame because there are actually some really great tracks hidden amongst all of the confusion, 50/50 and Partners In Crime in particular are brilliant tracks. Both show that the Strokes magic is still there, the energetic riffing, the teasing guitar licks and moody vocals all present and it's moments like this on Comedown Machine which make it all feel slightly worth it, but it can't save the mess.