First, I want to start off by telling you a bit about my perspective on attitudes towards music. And I feel it is probably good for you to hear my perspective, because I'm pretty educated and thoughtful when it comes to music, more than most people... maybe not an expert but I'll be there, trust me. People listen to music that reflects a culture they appreciate. It may not be their own culture, but its one they definitely respect and revere. That's why you may like tons of different styles of music. But music does reflect culture; its so embedded into it that its almost impossible to decide when trends result from music or when music results from trends. I love many different types of music. And you've heard me use this quote from a friend and I'll use it again, "People listen to the music that says exactly what they wish they could scream at the world". Your favorite music is exactly that; it is that inner part of you screaming to be heard.
Every once and a while, typically every decade or so, a musician or band does something so radically different that music has to be re-defined. I don't need to state examples because you know of them already. In 2001, the strokes came out with their debut album, Is This It. They posed a deep, ambiguous, unfitting title for their wildly successful eleven track album, and set the rock world spinning. A picture of the big bang for the U.S., a naked silhouette of a woman's upper thigh with a black glove for Europe, and a set of rhythmic, divergent songs became The Strokes. With that very conquest, they became the pioneers of indie hipster rock.
Its been exactly ten years since that great feat, but instead of basking in their glory, or fearing to be swallowed in their past, they look ahead with their poise, skill, and unparalleled dedication to the future. To them, it doesn't matter weather their works pay off, what matters is making good music. Because of this heroic mentality, they will never stop making good music, and Angles couldn't be a greater shout of confirmation of this. Here's the point I'm getting at... I sincerely think the music industry is going to have to create a new genre of music again. It's not that this album isn't like anything you've ever heard, its like everything. They've achieved a successful synthesis of pretty much every iconic genre of rock in the past 40 years into one album, with a futuristic twist, and a classic Strokes style. All I can say is that they knew exactly what they were doing, making it of no new risk for them. Power ballads, power chords, power bass, power drums? Their achievement is practically occult. Doubters just don't understand.
My big question out of this is just what is music going to look like with new junk like this going down? Its going to be dope, let me tell ya, but I just can't wait to see. My second question is weather their transformation is a result from a cultural shift, or if they're shifting culture? Haha, all I can say is hats off to this band. It's never a disappointment with you guys, and as long as I still have your music, I'll never quit listening.
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