I Wish That Clouds Could Hold Me Up

I always laughed a little inside when people heralded The Strokes as garage rock rivalists, that these poor little rich kids and their private schooling, well travelled extremely cultured upbringings could be the rivalists of the most everyday suburban teenage past times... perhaps they're like Michael Jackson, they just want to be a kid (awwwwwww). They probably revived garage rock in an abandoned factory that one of their parents fired an entire workforce to allow them to jam or poolside in the Hamptons on summer vacation.

Yeah well when I was a kid I wanted to be a millionaire who didn't work at local pizza shops and resturants. As you can see I've never related well to Julian Casablancas with the studying overseas for shits and giggles, the stunningly good looks, female melting voice, a danish former model for a mother and a father who ran a modelling agency... I can only imagine the visits to work. This is not to say I'm dissatisfied with the immensely cushy, never work hard for anything, parents cover my expenses whilst at uni lifestyle which I enjoy now... But you don't need to be logical to hate a man who has what he does, do you?

With Phrazes For The Young, Casablancas has proved to know-it-alls like myself that his talent is not restricted to mere unique vocal droning but extends further to an all round musician. I know diehard Strokes fans everywhere will beat their chest proclaiming they always knew of his broader talents, aside from maybe Angus @ 12MC, I won't believe you. I always saw Casablancas as a pivotal figure in the success of The Strokes but never gave him credit as the accomplished songwriter he clearly is. However can you blame me? Even Britney Spears gets co-writing accolades on some of her songs, so it isn't hard.

For the larger majority of synical blogging elitists, Phrazes For The Young creeped from nowhere and beat us upside the head. As other members of The Strokes have proceeded to release fairly average releases, popular with the religiously devoted Strokes fans but hardly worthy of any critical acclaim exceeding their contributions to The Strokes. Bang on all you want about Albert Hammond Jnr. the world really isn't listening. While I wouldn't go as far to say that Casblancas' Phrazes For The Young goes as far as superseeding the best work of The Strokes, I think he's proudly demonstrated his best is not confined to what he creates within The Strokes.
On to the album itself, I think Casablancas has taken the buffet style approach opting to display a broader range of his skills rather than keep everything within specific parameters. This is not to say the album lacks cohesion as clearly his brilliant vocal is the glue which holds together every release he's been apart of.

The four to the floor Out of the Blue & the addition to almost every blogger end of year list 11th Dimension set quite a high pace initially with the dreamy Left & Right in the Dark throw in between to break up proceedings. But for mine the album hits its peak at the bluesy pop of 4 Chords Of The Apocolypse and the country inspired, home-on-the-range-esque Ludlow St. Tracks like River of Breaklights and Glass are not the most memorable however proceedings are quickly brought back up with the tantalising guitar and twinkling electronics of Tourist where Casablancas gives yet another hint that what we thought was unending love affair with the city that really bred his celebrity New York City is growing a bit weary on the man... "soon our world will be an urban sprawl" or more so rejecting the world he has now seen through his tours around the world's endless cityscapes.

Poor little darlings and their overseas international education and sold out global tours ay...




Phrazes For The Young is out now through Sony Music [BUY]