In anticipation of catching Julian live at Terminal 5 (ugh, ugh, ugh) next month I finally bought his solo album Phrazes Of The Young and it is the very definition of a solo album by a leading member of the Strokes.
It’s OK “B” material. A coupla song could make it onto a Strokes album, “11th Dimension” mightta even been a third single. The synth takes over from the geetars and the melodies are decent enough Casablancaism: humm along, stare in the mirror, humm along some more.
Here and there it lives up to its Human League plays the Strokes easy filing system and there aren’t too many crap experiments like “River Of Brakelights”. Gotta love Casablancas cold as ice vocals. And even if you don’t it is all light handed without being shallow. Mike Mogis gives the proceedings a bright and shiny gloss and you might feel like a jerk singing along to Casablancas more cryptic verses but there’s nothing new in that. A minor pleasure with minimum misteps and on”4 Chords Of the Apocalypse” a bit more, a sorta gospel pop, 80s pop blow out pop dazzler. Shoulda been the single. Mighta broke the sucker rock.
OK, Julian, your busman’s holiday is over, back to the Strokes, the lower east side, and the studio.