The Strokes' Mixed Influences

1 month ago 13th Oct 13:15

The Strokes' next album sounds like a cross between "Thin Lizzy and A-Ha".

The band's frontman Julian Casablancas - who has just released a solo album, 'Phrazes For The Young' - has reassured fans that the group are planning to make a fourth album together and already has an idea of how it should sound.

He said: "I'm looking forward to it. We worked on it for months, we have most of the songs written, more than half of them written. But it's just a question of getting all five dudes in the room. I'm ready to do it. We're supposed to have done it already but it got pushed back.

"I have my own personal wish that it would sound like Thin Lizzy, but if they could peer into the future and kind of have eighties melodies. Like a super-tight late seventies rock band but A-Ha moments, if that makes sense."

You might have a vision for a part but you can't express what you want to look like in its final state

Although he has his own ideas about the record, Julian admits he doesn't have as much musical control as he would like.

He added to XFM Radio: "The Strokes is a tough musical jury so if something is going to survive it's got to pretty much please five incredibly picky dudes. That's the great thing about the band but on the other hand sometimes it can be stifling for certain parts.

"You might have a vision for a part but you can't express what you want to look like in its final state. And it's hard to even get to the final state because before it works, people are like 'I don't like it', so it's hard to work an idea through when people are fighting you."