I think one of the most overlooked albums of 2013 albums was the Strokes COMEDOWN MACHINE. A meticulously recorded and over produced record that will likely garner praise as the years roll by.
There's a chance that the album may get lost in the shuffle because 2013 had a lot of incredible records by new artists. The Strokes in some ways were a band with tremendous promise that sorta squandered their opportunity to be something bigger.
Every time I hear this record, I can't help but think that this would have been an incredible album to have heard live. The band recorded and released the album rather quietly... and unlike other albums - they didn't really have an extended hiatus between efforts.
The internet sorta had a song drop on their lap called "One Way Trigger" and it didn't sound anything like the Strokes. This was refreshing for me... but in all the commotion I think everyone forgot to acknowledge it was good. It almost felt like the discussion steered too much in the direction that it was "different". I mean, of all the bands in the world, isn't it the Strokes that we kinda want to sound different?
I think this album really would have found a place had the band toured in support of it. While I haven't actively gone out of my way to see the Strokes live since they first formed, I will definitely go out of my way to see them the next time they tour in hopes of hearing a number of these songs live.
Standout Tracks:
- The Strokes – Tap Out
- The Strokes – One Way Trigger
- The Strokes – Welcome To Japan
- The Strokes – 80's Comedown Machine
- The Strokes – Slow Animals
- The Strokes – Chances
- The Strokes – Happy Ending
- The Strokes – Call It Fate, Call It Karma
Artists: The Strokes
Album: Comedown Machine
Producer: Gus Oberg
Label: RCA
Recorded: Electric Lady Studios, One Way Studios