Julian Casablancas: retro-futuristic pop marvel

The Strokes is one of my all-time favorite bands, so when I knew Julian Casablancas was about to release a solo record, I couldn't help but wonder how his music would sound. I was curious about finding out Casablancas' contribution to The Strokes' magnificent sound. 11th dimension, the record's first single, was the first song I listened to, but I didn't like it -at that moment. I decided to give it one more chance and I listened to the whole record from the beginning until the end. And that's when surprise stroked me. Phrazes for the young doesn't sound as you first might suspect, and yet it sounds just exactly as you might have thought at first. Sounds weird, right? Well, that's the thing. Casablancas has managed to embrace sounds coming out of synths, virtual drums and crazy effects while maintaining that vintage rock sound he once crafted with his former band. The final result is quite astonishing. Julian Casablancas has made a sophisticated sonic extravaganza through a remarkable sense of orchestration. The way he arranged the songs, overall and detail wise, is eloquent of his huge musical talent. Listening to Phrazes for the young is like getting that great gift you weren't expecting.

This is a live performance of Out of the blue