by Julia Sansone | @thesansberry
The Strokes, after three very long years, have waltzed back into the music scene and our hearts (which they technically never left) with their EP, Future Present Past.
And may I say thank God, because I think the 2013 Comedown Machine CD in my car has practically burnt out from overuse.
The four-song EP has that signature gritty, yet elating Strokes sound we were all hoping would stick around. And listening through it, it kind of reminds me of a seedy Sunday morning.
The first track, ‘Drag Queen’, is like the first few moments of waking up – there’s some irritating light flickering on your face, your brain’s fuzzy, and you’re a bit disoriented about why it’s suddenly 11am.
On the second song, ‘OBLIVIUS’, you’re hit with an angelic guitar riff and left thinking… maybe Sunday isn’t so bad. Maybe I can make the most of the afternoon, right?
You somehow summon the energy to get out of bed, with the opening lyrics of the third track on the EP, ‘Threat Of Joy’. The song is pretty nostalgic of their 2011 album, Angles, harking back to the clean sounds of that Strokes era.
Similarly, maybe you’re starting to get your shit together. You open your blinds and grab a glass of water or two.
The EP finishes with a remix of ‘OBLIVIUS’ done by the band’s drummer, Fab Moretti. The vocals carry that classic lo-fi sound and the original song’s glory still shines through the remix, but everything sounds lifted.
Maybe you’re feeling a bit lifted too. Now you’re out of bed and making yourself some toast. Or you could have given up by this point and gone back to bed. Who knows.
The band will be gracing Australia for a single day when they headline the first day of Splendour In The Grass this year. So if you’ve got a window of opportunity to get up to Byron on July 22nd, I suggest you allow yourself to be blessed by the presence of frontman Julian Casablancas.
Whether you’re listening to this EP hungover in bed or very loudly in your car (like me), Future Present Past is a satisfying appetiser of what we pray is the start of more to come from The Strokes.