I Don’t Like Them As Much As I’m Supposed To: The Strokes

I Don't Like Them As Much As I'm Supposed To

strokes I Dont Like Them As Much As Im Supposed To: The Strokes
From the Spinal Tap-esque artwork of their debut album right through to the present day, only once have The Strokes lived up to their promise. I’ve seen ‘em live, heard the LPs… and of course, the initial hype took a lot of digesting (as they were all set to save the world from whiney guitar bands, bad pop, third world debt and apparently, had a cure for the common cold). But I was willing to like them. Velvet Underground influence? Yes please! A sniff of garage punk about ‘em? Bring it on! Sadly, the opening chimes of their debut single left me cold and wondering who stole their verve.
I mentioned that they’d only lived up to the promise once. “Juicebox” was the time they got closest to being an exciting band. A sinister bassline and a band really letting loose and kicking out the jams! Man, when they holler “Why won’t you come over heeeerrrreee?”, you actually start believing that this band could shake up the stale world of indie-pop. Sadly, the bits I’ve mentioned are the only great bits of the song.

In my eyes at least, The Strokes are very much like their fans; style over substance. All skinny ties and poetry in the back pocket without so much as an inkling of the real rock ‘n’ roll dream laid down by The Ramones (loud ‘n’ dumb) or The Sonics (loud ‘n’ weird). I was willing to let their first album go. Hell, you can’t land fully formed these days! You have to get past those morons with the clipboards and marketing plans before you can set foot on the radio. I thought ‘naw, it’s fine… they’ll get this LP outta the way then BAM… lay waste to everyone’.
Sadly, more of the same followed. Clipped guitars and everything held back and stifled. They sounded frustrated and bored. That brief moment in “Juicebox” when they go for the jugular really sounds like they’re wantin’ to get something out of their system. They’re frazzled by restraint. They’re bored of being soup of the day. HELL! WE WANNA MAKE A METAL LP! Well Strokes, go for it. Stick it to the man… hell… stick it to the fans if it makes you feel better. THIS IS ROCK AND ROLL! NOT A PENSION PLAN!