One is often required to play it cool. Ironically - considering that the Strokes have personified cool for so many - this is not one of those times. Blogs, music publications and Ray-Ban wearers all over the world today are digitally hailing the New York foursome's comeback. Almost exactly one decade since the release of their first single, "The Modern Age," the band have returned to form as if to say, "what's the big deal, I just stepped out for a cigarette."
When they headlined Lollapalooza here in Chicago last summer after a lengthy absence, the Strokes were every bit the garage revivalists they had become known to be. Now, the comeback has continued with the new single "Under Cover of Darkness," free to download today and tomorrow on thestrokes.com. Fans were so eager for it that they crashed the website upon the single's launch. The song starts with a bang - two, actually - and from then on out it bounces, clips curbs and blinks electric like the city that birthed it. We get not one, but two sing-along refrains and - get this - backing vocals, which I took to be a sign of the new album's purported more collaborative nature. "Under Cover of Darkness" builds on the restrained-yet-joyous hits that spilled off of the Strokes' debut album Is This It by utilizing the diverse arrangements they called upon with 2006's First Impressions of Earth, all the while never forsaking pop catchiness.
The new album is out March 22nd and is titled Angles, referencing the various circumstances each band member approached the project from. If this song is any indication, the Strokes may be about to nonchalantly remind us who started this party in the first place. Here's hoping to see them back in the Windy City soon.
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we read this a day too late. we downloaded the 30 second clip from Amazon a week ago...didn't know they had it for free on their site for two days
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