The Strokes – Reality Awaits

Over the years, The Strokes have been known to experiment with different styles, lyrical content and production techniques, whether they stayed as a group or dispersed into solo projects. This year marks their silver jubilee as legends in alternative rock, and as this reviewer remembers the iconic work within Is This It, the release of their brand-new studio album Reality Awaits seems worlds away from their more down-to-earth beginnings. Even when considering 2020’s The New Abnormal, whose more mature undertone with dedications to their New York City roots at least feels like a distant cousin to Is This It, this new project is clearly meant for lovers of experimentation, as it is an unexpected turn compared to the majority of their catalogue.

Julian Casablancas, who is known as the band’s frontman, often dominates with his newfound affinity for autotune manipulation. Although this is an artistic choice, it appears more often than not and tends to drone over the musical stylings of guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr, bassist Nikolai Fraiture and drummer Fabrizio Moretti. As the singles for this record, Going Shopping and Falling Out of Love began to roll out, the heavy use of autotune throughout was a hot topic of conversation for fans and critics alike. With Going Shopping, Casablancas’s autotune feels out of place and unnecessary amongst the California surf-rock essence of the track. While it fits more during points of the chorus, this attempt at syncopation falls flat and makes it difficult to latch onto meaning within the lyrics – Falling Out of Love is no different, even if its production is more in line with what The Strokes are known for.

While these singles may leave a sour taste, there are moments where Casablancas’s manipulated vocals are palatable. While the opening track Psycho Sh*t is not entirely successful in its efforts to use pitch correction as an atypical instrument, it suits the theatrical atmosphere of the song and feels as though it has a purpose. Tyrants of the Mellow Moon, which finalises the record, does not drown, either, as a mixture of guitar work by Valensi and Hammond Jr keep Casablancas afloat while he tells a metaphorical tale of a weary homecoming. Above all, however, Lonely in the Future is the most solid of the autotuned songs – the quippy guitar work sharply transforms into a more expected tone while Moretti’s snares and cymbals stand out from the background. Lonely in the Future has an infectious hook and earworm of a chorus that is as profound as it is ironic as Casablancas criticises contemporary pop-culture, ever-shifting trends and positions The Strokes as an “old” band that watches the industry move around them.

Unsurprisingly, the strongest numbers on Reality Awaits are ones that stay most true to form. Dine N’Dash and The Fruits of Conquest differ greatly from one another, but they both feature Casablancas’s well-loved vocal style that blends well with the rest of the band rather than sticking out like a sore thumb. With this, these two tracks are easier to absorb – Casablancas is quite lyrically gifted, and it is a breath of fresh air to have an opportunity to focus on the stories he aims to tell. Dine N’Dash, for example, uses the idea of dining and dashing and transforms it into a metaphor that represents systemic poverty. The Fruits of Conquest is a dark and twisted moment that revels in an ambiguous sense of danger lyrically, but sonically feels rather groovy.

With all things considered, there’s still clearly plenty of creative life left in The Strokes, even after 25 years of success. Although there is a heavy layer of autotune that coats the majority of tracks, this experimentation is far more effective when it enhances rather than overshadows. Overall, the interplay between Valensi and Hammond Jr’s guitars, Moretti’s ability to establish a recognisable rhythm, and Casablancas’s distinctive songwriting are what have made The Strokes’ chemistry so admirable over the years. With this, The Strokes deserve credit for such an ambitious project, even if it is not necessarily a highlight within their discography.

Taryn Crowley
Image: Jason McDonald

Reality Awaits is released on 24^th July 2026. For further information or to order the album, visit The Strokes’s website here.

Watch the video for Going Shopping here: