The New Music

Julian Casablancas Phrazes For The Young [Cult/RCA]

Let’s face it, with the arrival of the debut solo album by Julian Casablancas there’s only one real question people are asking: Does it sound enough like The Strokes? Because the others didn’t.

Giving respect where it’s due, drummer Fab Moretti’s side project with his girlfriend, Little Joy, was an enticing distraction filled with delightful tropical vibes and breezy harmonies. But Albert Hammond Jr. and Nikolai Fraiture’s Nickel Eye, on the other hand, proved that rhythm guitarists and bassists aren’t remembered for a reason. (Lead guitarist Nick Valensi remains silent on the solo front, maybe because he knows better.)

Julian, of course, has a clear advantage over his bandmates: the voice. That gnarly croon of his could go with anything, and he’s definitely trying to show that here on Phrazes For The Young. Claiming his influences were primarily classical music, Disney and weird keyboard sounds (which sounds like an amazing Wendy Carlos concept album), The Strokes’ frontman seems as though he’s venturing outside of his comfort zone with this slick offering that throws in everything and the kitchen sink. But it really isn’t all that unusual.

In fact, devoid of the “weird keyboard sounds,” opening track “Out of the Blue” is textbook Strokes: Julian crooning over the familiar strumming of guitars and a tightly coiled drum kit. Thankfully, the oscillating keyboards are enough to give him the division he so desires.

“Left & Right in the Dark” tries to takes things further, intermingling synths with a delayed guitar riff nicked right from A Flock of Seagulls. On first single “11th Dimension” he sings, “I got music, coming outta my hands and feet and kisses,” and Jules proves he’s out to show he has more tricks up his sleeves.

“Tourist” is a dirge that lurches with a downtempo beat and swirling synths like a higher-fi Folk Implosion, “4 Chords of the Apocalypse” finds Casablancas reaching all the way back to ‘60s soul, trying his hand at Otis Redding, oozing an authentic vocal over a combination of silky Rhodes piano and distorted guitar riffs. He then follows that up with “Ludlow St.” a torch song to his hometown done with a drunken country twang to it.

To answer the original question though, there are enough traces of The Strokes peppered throughout Phrazes to convince the casual music fan to buy the album instead of looking for a Mediafire link. Good examples of this are “River of Brakelights,” which has a similar frantic rhythm to it as “Reptilia” and “11th Dimension” really does pave a strong path for The Strokes should they be in need of some direction for their troubled fourth album.

Phrazes allows Julian to break out of the rock-song structures and dabble in his grand illusions. And while some of these illusions present some fresh ideas that could really clash in the Strokes’ camp, they also make the songs seem busy and unfocused a lot of the time.

I suppose what disappoints me most is that Phrazes isn’t that far out, classical-cosmic-Disney album I had hoped for. But in his defence, Julian has made something more memorable than the last Strokes record. And that’s all anybody wants, right?

Rating: B-

- Cam Lindsay