Angles
by The Strokes
  • Record Label: RCA
  • Release Date: Mar 22, 2011
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 266 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 216 out of 266
  2. Mixed: 41 out of 266
  3. Negative: 9 out of 266
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  1. frightopia
    Mar 19, 2023
    8
    Honestly a very solid album. It really did not have any bad songs and seemed a bit different than previous albums, which was a breath of fresh air.
  2. Chris182
    Apr 25, 2021
    6
    This is my 2nd favourite album from the band, i still don't like it. Most people say this is one of their worst albums and i can definitely see why. The lyrics arent very good and it was a big shift in sound from their first 3 albums. The instrumentals are killer (as always) and Julian Casablancas tries out some new things with the vocals. Under Cover of Darkness is one of my absoluteThis is my 2nd favourite album from the band, i still don't like it. Most people say this is one of their worst albums and i can definitely see why. The lyrics arent very good and it was a big shift in sound from their first 3 albums. The instrumentals are killer (as always) and Julian Casablancas tries out some new things with the vocals. Under Cover of Darkness is one of my absolute favourites from the band and shows that they have the potential to write a great song.
    Best Songs: Under Cover of Darkness, Machu Pichu, Taken For a Fool
    Worst Songs: Call Me Back, Metabolism, Games, Two Kinds of Happiness, You're So Right    … Expand
  3. EmilianoxMQ
    Jul 27, 2020
    9
    The guitar here is wonderful. Makes like a minimalist sound. In spite of some songs, this would be the second best album.
  4. imthenoob
    Apr 15, 2020
    6
    This was a weird one as Julian wrote and recorded his lyrics and vocals in another state while the rest of the band worked on the music. I guess the intention was to show that the rest of the band was more than capable of creating music and to kind of break the idea that it was just Julian carrying them. It works for the most part. It's definitely their most creative album. I liked most ofThis was a weird one as Julian wrote and recorded his lyrics and vocals in another state while the rest of the band worked on the music. I guess the intention was to show that the rest of the band was more than capable of creating music and to kind of break the idea that it was just Julian carrying them. It works for the most part. It's definitely their most creative album. I liked most of the songs on it but it is not an album I find myself going back to often.… Expand
  5. SatanaFollador
    Apr 10, 2020
    10
    I love This album, it's yo great af, like songs as Games or Under cover Of Darkness. Yes, 10/10
  6. davidpaulmesa
    Apr 6, 2020
    10
    The Strokes are a band that I didn't get into until 2010, so this was the first album I got to experience the release of. I don't know if that adds bias, but this album is almost every bit as interesting to listen to as FIOE, but with a lot of music that's just fun to dance to. All in all its easily my favorite Strokes album.
  7. drongodan
    Apr 1, 2020
    7
    Nothing particularly bad about the album but is defiantly the weakest for me. Fave tracks Undercover of Darkness & Two Kinds of Happiness
  8. darklatinbruh
    Jun 9, 2019
    7
    I mean, yeah, why not. If its got great tunes why not listen to it?
    Highlights; Under cover of Darkness, macchu pichu, life is simple in the moonlight.

    lowlights: two kinds of happiness
  9. MoralSupport
    May 23, 2018
    7
    Angles is an album that, at least for the strokes, is annoyingly catchy and hard to get out of your head. It's not "Is This It", but it does have it's moments. 7 out of the 10 songs on this LP are well crafted, intimate, and thoroughly enjoyable listens. However, Games, Metabolism, and You're So Right are, simply put, bad songs. They're hard to listen to. The lyrics aren't anything specialAngles is an album that, at least for the strokes, is annoyingly catchy and hard to get out of your head. It's not "Is This It", but it does have it's moments. 7 out of the 10 songs on this LP are well crafted, intimate, and thoroughly enjoyable listens. However, Games, Metabolism, and You're So Right are, simply put, bad songs. They're hard to listen to. The lyrics aren't anything special either, but what is done well on this album is enough to make Angles a worthy listen, if nothing else. Highlights are Machu Picchu and Life is Simple in the Moonlight.… Expand
  10. Mccusky
    Feb 1, 2018
    10
    One of the things that constantly surprises me about the strokes is the tightness of their sound. Some of the songs on Angles have an outrageous sound, guitars screech and squeal at their typical fast pace, rhythm, lead, bass bouncing around each other whilst Julian cooly carries the sound to another level. Great job with the production, some of the songs lack a little lyrical substanceOne of the things that constantly surprises me about the strokes is the tightness of their sound. Some of the songs on Angles have an outrageous sound, guitars screech and squeal at their typical fast pace, rhythm, lead, bass bouncing around each other whilst Julian cooly carries the sound to another level. Great job with the production, some of the songs lack a little lyrical substance but this is rare, Two kinds of happiness is somewhat straight forward song but its an absolute masterpiece, UCOD is terrific, unassuming. Angles is truly a wonderful work of modern art, bitter sweet with a hidden arrogance, swagger and bite. Rock on The Strokes!… Expand
  11. EmmeKira
    May 15, 2015
    7
    A good return to form.. and at the same time a good sign that the band is trying always something new. There are some killer tunes here (Taken for a Fool and Machu Pichu for example) and some great other songs as well (Under Cover of Darkness, Two Kinds of Happiness, Life is Simple in the Moonlight). All the other tracks are mostly good or ok, but what they lack is a cohesive idea thatA good return to form.. and at the same time a good sign that the band is trying always something new. There are some killer tunes here (Taken for a Fool and Machu Pichu for example) and some great other songs as well (Under Cover of Darkness, Two Kinds of Happiness, Life is Simple in the Moonlight). All the other tracks are mostly good or ok, but what they lack is a cohesive idea that holds them all tight. It's an album that does a lot of experimenting, but there doesn't seem to be an actual overall idea behind it, even though, as I said, most of the tracks are pretty fun to listen to.… Expand
  12. davim
    Oct 22, 2014
    5
    Have to say, I was expecting a lot more from The Strokes after 5 years of not making an album. Albeit it a change in style and sound, there are far too many weak songs on Angles, especially in the latter stages of the album. I've given them plenty of chances over the last few years but they've never appealed to me. Despite this, 'Machu Pichu' is a flawless start to the record whichHave to say, I was expecting a lot more from The Strokes after 5 years of not making an album. Albeit it a change in style and sound, there are far too many weak songs on Angles, especially in the latter stages of the album. I've given them plenty of chances over the last few years but they've never appealed to me. Despite this, 'Machu Pichu' is a flawless start to the record which unfortunately only delivers false hope. The big single 'Under Cover of Darkness' is also a well crafted song, along with my personal favourite 'Taken For a Fool'.… Expand
  13. Neel12345
    Sep 25, 2014
    10
    Highly under rated, this album in the bomb digady and is cool beans. The albums got great songs on it that are as good as any other strokes songs. Buy this!
  14. DarkBates
    Nov 11, 2013
    9
    Underestimated and misunderstood. I love this album, the rhythm, the instruments... cool! I think this is one of their best. The julian's voice in this album give me some orgasms. God!
  15. SlicedBread
    Mar 26, 2013
    5
    It's nice when a band makes a theme album, but Angles doesn't seem as if it was intended to be one. The entire thing sounds disjointed, and not by design, indicative of a recording process that was done largely without primary songwriter and frontman Julian Casablancas. Under Cover of Darkness shines as a throwback to the so-called "Golden Age" of The Strokes, but prog rock wannabeIt's nice when a band makes a theme album, but Angles doesn't seem as if it was intended to be one. The entire thing sounds disjointed, and not by design, indicative of a recording process that was done largely without primary songwriter and frontman Julian Casablancas. Under Cover of Darkness shines as a throwback to the so-called "Golden Age" of The Strokes, but prog rock wannabe "Metabolism" and "You're So Right" are notable low points. First Impressions of Earth showed that The Strokes can experiment a little and still possess that uncaring Strokes aura, but perhaps Angles takes that a bit too far.… Expand
  16. EpicPinkBanana
    Mar 22, 2013
    8
    Machu Picchu's opening line is ''I'm putting your patience to the test'', and they sure did. After 5 years the Strokes are back. A lot has changed. The Strokes already showed their 'dark side' on the mediocre First Impressions of Earth but really have given themselves some space to grow with this album. This turned out great. In most songs they retain the classic Strokes sound, whileMachu Picchu's opening line is ''I'm putting your patience to the test'', and they sure did. After 5 years the Strokes are back. A lot has changed. The Strokes already showed their 'dark side' on the mediocre First Impressions of Earth but really have given themselves some space to grow with this album. This turned out great. In most songs they retain the classic Strokes sound, while adding something fresh. The Strokes pulled it off extremely well considered what impossible situation they are in. If they would make an ''Is This It-remake'' everybody would complain about how they hadn't grown in 10 years, if they experiment with new sounds, everyone will complain about how unlike Is This It it is. Angles really got a lot of hate, but it's a great album. It will grow on you, I promise.… Expand
  17. jeneboe
    Jul 21, 2012
    9
    I applaud The Strokes for switching things up and integrating different sound elements into some of their songs. At first, I only liked a few of the songs on the album and thought the rest were all right, but it has definitely grown on me. I absolutely love the album now. 'Angles' definitely takes some risks, but anyone who liked 'Is This It' will surely enjoy the band's newestI applaud The Strokes for switching things up and integrating different sound elements into some of their songs. At first, I only liked a few of the songs on the album and thought the rest were all right, but it has definitely grown on me. I absolutely love the album now. 'Angles' definitely takes some risks, but anyone who liked 'Is This It' will surely enjoy the band's newest album--it grows on you!
    Favorite tracks: Taken for a Fool -and- Life is Simple in the Moonlight    … Expand
  18. Mab_987
    Jul 6, 2012
    8
    In my opinion this is almost as good as Is This It, if not better. I love how many different styles they try out, from new wave to electronica to classic Strokes. I only give this an 8 because Call Me Back and Metabolism are just boring filler tracks. But every other track is great.
  19. AFrozenFireball
    Jun 24, 2012
    5
    Under Cover of Darkness, Taken for a Fool and Gratisfaction are the only great songs in Angles, the rest is complete and utter **** And even these three songs could have been a lot better, I'd say the recording style had a lot to do with it, the songs feel disconnected and at times nonsensical because of it.

    Truly a huge disappointment, I honestly thought this would be their comeback,    Under Cover of Darkness, Taken for a Fool and Gratisfaction are the only great songs in Angles, the rest is complete and utter **** And even these three songs could have been a lot better, I'd say the recording style had a lot to do with it, the songs feel disconnected and at times nonsensical because of it.

    Truly a huge disappointment, I honestly thought this would be their comeback, guess I was wrong. Gratisfaction and Taken for a Fool seem like the only fresh tunes while still retaining some of that old Strokes feel to them.    … Expand
  20. Ricko
    May 24, 2012
    7
    After the bones of 5 years away the creators of Is This It return with their 4th album. Let's face it - The Strokes are never going to recapture the form that saw them deliver "Is This It" or even it's follow up "Room on Fire". It's a pity but I believe it to be a fact. With that in mind you have to take this album completley on it's own merits otherwise it will suffer in comparison. AllAfter the bones of 5 years away the creators of Is This It return with their 4th album. Let's face it - The Strokes are never going to recapture the form that saw them deliver "Is This It" or even it's follow up "Room on Fire". It's a pity but I believe it to be a fact. With that in mind you have to take this album completley on it's own merits otherwise it will suffer in comparison. All in all it's reasonably good. At 10 tracks its short enough that it manages not to have any bad tracks. This was a major fault of First Impressions Of Earth - too long leading to too much filler. Having no bad tracks doesn't mean its a great album though. It's got a couple of brilliant tracks and several good ideas but it's also got some strange moments that don't really go anywhere and manage to just thread water. Taking the best of this record with the best of First Impressions.... could have resulted in a really great record but instead what we're left with is 2 good enough records. Under Cover of Darkness is brilliant though - as good as anything they've ever done. I don't hold high hopes for their future albums however when the times comes for them to release a Best Of (which should be a brilliant record), Angles will have a couple of contributions.… Collapse
  21. RenegadeNorman
    Dec 30, 2011
    9
    Over time the album has grown on me. I can now say that a majority of the album is near-perfect. There might be one forgettable song, but the rest makes up for it. "Machu Picchu", "You're So Right", "Taken for a Fool", "Gratisfaction", and "Under Cover of Darkness" are the highlights of the album. It is definitely worth the 5 year wait.
  22. clashclashclash
    Dec 24, 2011
    10
    I give this album a 8/10, but had to give it a 10 on MetaCritic to make up for the amateur music fans who gave it low reviews. No matter how much you hate The Strokes, a 3/10 is just unacceptable. Have you been hanging out on Pitchfork too much? Come on.. last place to take review advice. Anyways, this album (as i mentioned 8/10) is very solid. They take a poppier, more colorful directionI give this album a 8/10, but had to give it a 10 on MetaCritic to make up for the amateur music fans who gave it low reviews. No matter how much you hate The Strokes, a 3/10 is just unacceptable. Have you been hanging out on Pitchfork too much? Come on.. last place to take review advice. Anyways, this album (as i mentioned 8/10) is very solid. They take a poppier, more colorful direction with it, but they make it work. The great thing about any Strokes album is that there's no such thing as a bad song. They are incapable of making a bad song because with a combination of Albert Hammond Jr. and Nick Valensi on guitars, you are set.. Angles can be almost completely listened to from beginning to end without a skip. I say almost because You're So Right. Never let Nikolai push his songs into a Strokes album. I think that was a great lesson for everybody. So this is what keeps it from being another flawless album. As mentioned before, You're So Right is one thing that keeps it from perfection. To have a flawless album, every single song has to be great, and being The Strokes, you are already set to incredibly high standards after ITI and ROF.

    The other thing holding it back from a flawless score is the fact that certain songs in the album don't have the Strokes touch. Take Games and Call Me Back for example. Great songs, but they are songs other bands could potentially make. They would work if they were on an Arctic Monkeys or White Stripes album, but your entire music depends on your certain style. The fact that so many try to imitate them and fail is what makes the Strokes so unique. So, when you have songs like Games and Call Me Back, you're just making songs that other bands can make. So this is the fast and simplified version of the review, but you get the gist of it. It's a great album with really intricate guitar play and the usually tightly timed Strokes style in most songs, but it just misses the beat on a few occasions, which keeps it from being flawless.

    (8/10) PS. After a good 8 months, UCOD is sounding better than before. Go listen to it again.    … Expand
  23. JawsPapi87
    Oct 3, 2011
    7
    Angles has grown on me, going from a B- to a straight A. It was such a great decision to change their style a little bit after the somewhat disappointing First Impressions of Earth. Overall, Angles comes together beautifully and is one of the most underrated and unfairly overlooked albums of the past few years
  24. papalazarou
    Aug 31, 2011
    8
    With the strokes being the best band on the planet at the moment I should have been looking forward to this album, but then I remembered their last attempt at an album, and what a colossal failure it was. When I first listened to the album I have to admit I wasn't too impressed, A couple tracks "under the cover of darkness" and "Gratisfaction" stood out, but the rest i thought were lazyWith the strokes being the best band on the planet at the moment I should have been looking forward to this album, but then I remembered their last attempt at an album, and what a colossal failure it was. When I first listened to the album I have to admit I wasn't too impressed, A couple tracks "under the cover of darkness" and "Gratisfaction" stood out, but the rest i thought were lazy attempts at riff driven indie-rock. That was what I thought, but I was wrong. Give this album the full attention it deserves and it will reward you. I grows on you, and after the third time of listening i thought "Wow, this really is a good album". "Machu Picchu" quickly became my favourite song from the record. "Taken for a fool" hit me as a superb song and "Life Is simple in the moonlight" became a very apt final track to a now brilliant album.
    I warn you don't judge a book by a cover, or, more relevant to this album, after reading it only once.    … Expand
  25. j30
    Jul 20, 2011
    9
    From the opening bass line of Machu Picchu I was blown away. This is a return to form from a band I thought would never see the studio again (First Impressions of Earth sounds like a breakup album). Julian Casablancas being more open and not overseeing everything the band was doing was just the ticket. Listening to their previous albums before this one, I honestly believe this is theirFrom the opening bass line of Machu Picchu I was blown away. This is a return to form from a band I thought would never see the studio again (First Impressions of Earth sounds like a breakup album). Julian Casablancas being more open and not overseeing everything the band was doing was just the ticket. Listening to their previous albums before this one, I honestly believe this is their best album since Is This It and could be the best rock album of the year. I don't understand why fans are so disappointed in an album that captures everything we love about The Strokes. Under the Cover of Darkness and Taken for a Fool sounds like they could have come off of Is This It. The rest sounds like a better version of Room on Fire. It feels like Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, it catches you from the beginning and never lets go. The perfect summer album.… Expand
  26. Clampy
    Jul 19, 2011
    10
    First heard this when I was on the plane, and stumbled across it when amidst deep boredom. An electrically absorbing and impressively composed slice of indie culture. Not really indie, though. Best track is Machu Picchu, and the other truly memorable ones are Taken for a Fool and Gratisfaction.
  27. quirlontilt
    Jul 2, 2011
    9
    Overall the album has some great songs, "Taken for a fool" is an absolute winner with amazingly catchy riffs and a great melodic chorus, "Under cover of Darkness", "Gratisfaction" and "Macchu Picchu" are also really catchy interesting songs, however I felt that most of the rest of the songs were unfortunately noticeably lacking something.
  28. Binki
    Jun 12, 2011
    8
    Really great album. Of course it is not an "Is this it" 2 but it's a good album for sure. The Strokes have changed in ten years but their still one of the best band of this decade. "Taken for a fool" and "Macchu Pichu" are the masterpieces of this album. "Life is simple in the moonlight" is one of their best tracks ever.
  29. Hackskeptic
    Jun 4, 2011
    6
    The first signs were good, as pre-release single "Under Cover Of Darkness" was a classic stab of the lean and spiky pop of 2001, and with the benefit of Julian Casablancas' improved vocal, seemed to promise a new vitality we hadn't heard for about 10 years.Appetite whetted, it comes as a huge disappointment that "Angles" never once lives up to the promise of the leadoff single. Whilst notThe first signs were good, as pre-release single "Under Cover Of Darkness" was a classic stab of the lean and spiky pop of 2001, and with the benefit of Julian Casablancas' improved vocal, seemed to promise a new vitality we hadn't heard for about 10 years.Appetite whetted, it comes as a huge disappointment that "Angles" never once lives up to the promise of the leadoff single. Whilst not a bad recording, too much time apart forging their solo careers via subtle twists on alternative music has left the band creatively rudderless and their compositions limply hanging on by aping early 80s pop and new wave acts. An instant backfire arrives via the lightweight opener "Machu Picchu", where both guitars and drums attempt a clipped unconvincing dance rhythm and deliver what can only be described as the sound of a Nik Kershaw b-side to "Wide Boy", "When A Heart Beats" or something equally facile. If A-ha ever investigated where their influence has spread to, then look no further than "Games". Far more appealing is "Two Kinds Of Happiness" which recalls Ric Ocasek's Cars from around the "Panorama" era. The well reported internal frictions that existed and indeed delayed the release of this collection have undoubtedly had an effect on the final release, and the epitome of these pressures is highlighted on the tawdry ballad "Call Me Back", which reeks of half hearted commitment to the cause.To perfectly reflect the content of this recording The Strokes missed a trick. They should have added "Obtuse" in front of "Angles" for a perfectly descriptive product title. http://hackskeptic.com… Expand
  30. JCGuerrero
    Jun 1, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This album merges both the essential character of the Strokes but also excellence in creativity retrieves the album Is this It. I love this album. There are traces of the style of the band Muse in Metabolism, can repair.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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#20 Most Discussed Album of 2011
62
#62 Most Shared Album of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 41
  3. Negative: 1 out of 41
  1. Filter
    May 10, 2011
    60
    The result is mixed and at times strained, but a spark still lies within.
    Read full review
  2. American Songwriter
    May 2, 2011
    60
    When all is said and done, Angles could make for an exciting introduction to a new chapter for The Strokes, or it could be a disappointing swan song.
    Read full review
  3. Q Magazine
    May 2, 2011
    80
    Angles fits 10 songs into a brisk 34 minutes and doesn't waste time gunning for gravitas. [Apr 2011, p.92]
See all critic reviews »