Comedown Machine

As a hardcore Strokes fan my opinion may be slightly biased, which I have considered before writing this review in order to make it worth reading. Despite this I cannot fault this album, and that is my honest opinion fan or no fan. This album has variety which cannot be seen on any other Strokes album, whilst at the same time keeping within an alternative 80's theme, each song flowing effortlessly on to the next. It is a joy to listen to; my current favourite songs being 'Tap Out', 'Welcome to Japan' and 'Happy Endings' however this changes on a daily basis because every song has different qualities about it, being such a diverse album. New techniques and styles are used, which is parallel to their last LP 'Angles' however, this time it feels professional and works well like it is meant to be that way, rather than almost experimental like with Angles. Overall it sounds like a band that has evolved and improved, making songs that are so different yet are so undoubtably Strokes, because of the powerful hooks and addictiveness that you can only hear from this band. It is hard for them to ever out-do 'It This It' which is the curse of a perfect debut LP, so critics are always lukewarm with any other album they put out. But I can say with certainty that this is yet another intriguing, fresh and perfect album which will remain in my collection for many years to come.

All the talk about how well these guys are getting on behind the scenes, or if this is going to be their last album, or if they are going to tour it aside. Comedown Machine sees The Strokes at their most creative and most adventurous. I fully accept that this album may not be what people are looking for from a typical 'Strokes sound' however, I really believe they are incapable of making music that isn't extremely catchy. I just find everything they do very interesting. I personally like when a band changes their sound and branches out and I honestly never thought The Strokes would do that. There are moments that will make you remember why you love them in the first place, moments that surprise you and moments that may downright confuse you. Julian's vocals are at their most varied here, with excellent use of falseto 'One way Trigger', 'Chances' , 'Slow Animals' as well as his usual deep baritone aggressive vocals too 'All the time' '50/50' he has also introduced the use of an almost whispered vocal in use in a few songs which really ass to the overall chilled vibe to this album, which is by far The Strokes' most mellow album pound for pound. The guitar work is superb as always and always seems to find ways of evoking interest, especially in songs like 'Tap out', '50/50' and 'Welcome to Japan'. As far as the Bass work goes here, it is definitely less at the forefront on this album but after enough listens it becomes more apparent how much the bass brings to the overall sound. The drums are tight as usual with a lot of interesting syncopated clicks and trademark hi-hat 16th notes too. An interesting note on this album is the expansion The Strokes have made from 'Angles' in Synthesizers. Songs like 'One way Trigger', '80s Comedown Machine' and 'Chances' are very much synth driven but still retain an unmistakable Strokes sound in my opinion. I would give Comedown Machine 4.5/5 if I could but I feel it is better than 4/5 so I gave it 5.

Another incredible album from the World's best band. It's a bit more mellow and mature than the last albums with more synths and on some songs Julian's singing is more falsetto/soul than rock but the tunes are just as good as on their previous albums with the usual great guitar riffs.Quite extraordinary how they keep coming up with such classic tunes. I can't stop listening to it and it gets better every time! Do yourself a favour and buy it immediately.

typical strokes album usual 40 mins off tunes ripping straight into it kicking off with the superb Tap out, Welcome to japan, Partners in Crime and Happy ending being the heavy hitting songs for me on this album the rest are certainly not to be ignored, overall i think this is better than angles but may be not quite on a par with Is this it, hey its still early days tho it may well turn out to be

I can never take criticism seriously when somebody says it's not as good as 'This Is It'. Firstly, 'This Is It' happened to be called 'Is This It'. If you just want another 'Is This It' you're bound to be disappointed again, The Strokes don't want to be tied to one style/album & they definitely suffer from the classic 1st album syndrome. Anyone else releases this & it gets way more praise imo. I do agree that the artwork booklet is lazy though, it always annoys me when you (unlike most people) don't download & get payed back with lazy artwork. I've noticed the silhouettes of the band members/manager are that of the 'Is This It' photos. Maybe it represents them wishing to shake off their early work identity/links & a statement of moving on with new intent? Just a thought. 'All The Time' was the wrong decision for lead single (it's already put some of my friends off buying the album) because it's misleading in their new direction. 'Welcome To Japan' or 'Tap Out' would have been a better introduction to their progression from 'Machu Picchu' type sounds. Listening to their intricate yet made-to-sound-effortless grooves/riffs mixed in with the spaced out daydream-like tunes makes me massively look forward to spinning this record in summer BBQ weather ;) I've found this album really addictive, I love how there are a range of styles, taking you on a journey yet it all manages to gel together at the same time (an element where Angles was lacking). It feels as though The Strokes were feeling their way around on 'Angles' (still producing some memorable moments) but this time round they've pretty much nailed what they were going for last time round. The Strokes aren't going for immediate, heavyweight knock-out 'Reptilia' songs ('50/50' is the only song remotely like this). Instead 'Comedown Machine' is something much more subtle than that, inviting you over rather than forcing your attention, revealing more of itself on repeated listens. It's got me hooked, hope it does you too.

The Strokes' final album for RCA is a mix of old school 80's electric pop and the usual Strokes cool riffs and as always they have moved forward into new areas. I really like this album. No, it's not 'Is This It' but if they just put out another album like that 12 years after it was first released, people would be quick to say they were predictable. 'All The Time' is the closest song to the classic Strokes sound. I love all 5 albums and am a hugh Strokes fan, and really recommend this album. Some are saying this is the Strokes final album, but who knows, only time will tell...

Came a day early, plays fine

A new direction for the band that's been together for over a decade. The album should have been born in the eighties. Top songs are welcome to Japan and one way trigger. Oh and check out 80's countdown machine. Brilliant.

O disco é ótimo Mas se vai presentear alguém não compre aqui, nunca entregam na data prevista.

Love this album! Plays smoothly and record is nice and thick!

Muy bien precio y todo en buen estado

Sounds great

Great, well-mixed Side A on vinyl. Rocks but chills you out.