Angles

1. Philip

   Mar 23, 2011

   10

   I was disappointed with this album when I first listened to it. Now it's grown on me with a vengeance. I absolutely love it. Taken for a FoolI was disappointed with this album when I first listened to it. Now it's grown on me with a vengeance. I absolutely love it. Taken for a Fool is easily one of the best songs, with it's fantastic chorus. Games, the most unnerving departure from The Strokes' norm, is now one of my favourite songs. Life is Simple in the Moonlight has a unique atmosphere of distant sincerity and regret. Not to mention Under Cover of Darkness, easily the best individual Strokes song since the Is This It era.… Expand

   • 6 of 7 users found this helpful
2. 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 howI 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

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. 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 theOver 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.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
5. ryanpoling

   Mar 27, 2011

   8

   The only complaint I have with this album is that all the good songs are crammed at the front, making it a downhill experience from when youThe only complaint I have with this album is that all the good songs are crammed at the front, making it a downhill experience from when you start listening. All-in-all, this is a good album and a good sound for the Strokes. Any Strokes fan should be pleased.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. Cmurd23

   Apr 12, 2011

   8

   If you like The Strokes the you'll like this album. Its upbeat and fun. Standouts include "Machu Picchu," "Two Kinds of Happiness," "Taken forIf you like The Strokes the you'll like this album. Its upbeat and fun. Standouts include "Machu Picchu," "Two Kinds of Happiness," "Taken for a Fool," and "Metabolism."… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. 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 toAfter 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.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. Dec5

   Mar 23, 2011

   3

   I kept trying to dig this album because I dig The Strokes. I enjoyed Julian Casablanca's solo album, Phrazes..., more and I thought that hadI kept trying to dig this album because I dig The Strokes. I enjoyed Julian Casablanca's solo album, Phrazes..., more and I thought that had some real misses. From what I've heard this was the groups first real collaborative effort, as the prior albums were mainly brainchildren of Julian. It feels like it a collaboration album, with the songs competitive and discordant with one another. I'm slow on music and I'll probably 'figure it out' and enjoy it later, but right now it has me scratching my head.… Expand

   • 0 of 6 users found this helpful

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