the strokes are coming back with a new album, Reality Awaits– and i expected the new abnormal to be their swan song. i found out about this song once again through the college radio station, and it gave me a shock. last year, i really got into the strokes, mostly into their early works Is This It and Room on Fire. i could talk about “Last Nite” and particle trails in a gas chamber forever. i was and still am drawn to things that remind me of teenage disillusionment, and Is This It just hit the spot when the burnout came in the later half of sophomore year.
anyways, “Going Shopping” is a quirky number-kind of implacable, on the edge of synth-pop/new wave but grounded by some good old rock soloing. casablancas, with some noticeable autotune, sounds kind of like a robot, droning about consumerism as the bright guitars try to dance around the verse. and there’s a little synthy keyboard ringing throughout.
this song isn’t too bad, but it really makes me wonder what exactly the strokes want to achieve on their next album-are they trying to sound like an 80s new wave band, going off The New Abnormal, or are they trying to bring back some of their early garage rock? it’s a hodgepodge of both.
give it a listen, in case you haven’t already.
q-street 
