The Strokes embrace pop and autotune on new album 'Reality Awaits'

The Strokes, a band known for its garage-rock sound for 25 years, has released its seventh album, "Reality Awaits," signaling a dramatic shift towards pop music. The new direction is characterized by a prominent use of autotune and keyboards, moving away from their signature guitar-driven feedback.

This genre change has been met with surprise and division among their fanbase. Guitarist Nick Valensi's temporary absence from the band, announced after their appearance on The Stephen Colbert Show in May, has fueled speculation about internal rifts. One hypothesis suggests Valensi, who is Jewish, may object to singer Julian Casablancas' support for organizations like "Musicians For Palestine," which advocate for boycotting Israeli cultural institutions.

Despite the potential controversy and the departure from their established sound, "Reality Awaits" is being recognized as an experimental and beautiful pop album. The opening track, "Psycho Shit," features gentle keyboard melodies, shimmering guitar sounds, and autotune-enhanced vocals, presenting a power ballad style. The song's lyrics, such as "We learn to die to learn to live," evoke themes of self-destruction, reminiscent of Falco's "Out Of The Dark."

The album's cover art, depicting a cowboy riding through the prairie, further emphasizes the band's move away from their urban New York image, evoking a more provincial or country feel, a stark contrast to their previous associations with the disco group Village People.

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We learn to die to learn to live.