The New Abnormal
The New Abnormal | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 10, 2020 | |||
Recorded | 2016–2019 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 45:07 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Rick Rubin | |||
The Strokes chronology | ||||
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Singles from The New Abnormal | ||||
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The New Abnormal is the sixth studio album by American
The New Abnormal received very positive reviews from critics, many of whom considered the album a return to form for the band. Praise was directed particularly towards the maturity of singer
Background and recording
Writing sessions for The New Abnormal dated as far back as 2016, following the release of the band's
On May 13, 2019, the band performed live for the first time in two years at the
Composition
Music critics have generally considered The New Abnormal to be an
Two songs on the album incorporate vocal melodies from other songs, both of which include songwriting credits for the original performers.[1] The chorus of "Bad Decisions" uses the vocal melody from the chorus of "Dancing with Myself" (1980) by Generation X,[11][20] and some of "Eternal Summer" uses the vocal melody from the chorus of "The Ghost in You" (1984) by the Psychedelic Furs.[21]
Packaging
The cover art for The New Abnormal features the 1981 painting
Promotion
To compensate for the cancellation of their performance at the
To further promote the record, the band released a series of self-produced videos titled and stylized as "5guys talking about things they know nothing about."[29] The band explained that "...we wanted to see if we could connect with folks, and turned what was supposed to be a pirate radio thing for our album release (which we would make in-person) into a video chat instead..."[30] The first episode premiered on April 8, 2020, and in the following episode, released April 9, 2020, the band previewed the entire record.
The Strokes performed "The Adults Are Talking" and "Bad Decisions" during the October 31, 2020, episode of
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.1/10[33] |
Metacritic | 75/100[34] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [35] |
The Daily Telegraph | [36] |
Entertainment Weekly | A−[37] |
Exclaim! | 6/10[38] |
The Guardian | [39] |
The Independent | [40] |
NME | [41] |
Pitchfork | 5.7/10[42] |
Rolling Stone | [43] |
The Times | [44] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received a weighted average score of 75, based on 25 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[34] Most critics praised the mature lyrics and highlighted the members' return to form after a period of tension and apathy from within the group.[45]
Will Hodgkinson of The Times awarded the album five out of five stars, labeling it their "second masterpiece", following Is This It (2001). He praised Rick Rubin's production as well as the album's overall sound, saying that "the Strokes sound like a band again."[44] Entertainment Weekly gave the album an A−, acknowledging that "twenty years on from the band's first flush of stardom, Abnormal offers something better than reckless youth: rock stars finally old enough to miss those good old days—and wise enough now, too, to give us the soundtrack these strange new times deserve."[37] NME awarded the album four stars, with Ella Kemp remarking, "The Strokes have always kept their feelings at arm's length, but there are traces of deeper introspection on their sixth album, which—despite itself—is something of a crowd-pleaser."[41]
In the review for
Some reviewers were more critical in their judgement of the album. In the review for Pitchfork, Sam Sodomsky mentioned that "the Strokes' sixth album and first in seven years, mostly just feels like a hangover. It's sluggish and slight, and the strongest hooks are so familiar that they require additional writing credits for the '80s hits they copy note-for-note".[42] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph gave the album three stars out of five, criticizing its "cheesy Eighties synths and dinky disco beats" as well as Julian Casablancas' lyrics, but praised its instrumentation and Casablancas's vocals, as well as Rick Rubin's production for making The Strokes sound "pretty damn fantastic again."[36] Reviewing the album for Exclaim!, Kaelen Bell had mixed feelings, saying that it is "not a bad record, but it is a frustrating one, made by a band that feels pulled in a dozen different directions."[38] Kitty Empire of the Observer also regarded the album as a "frustrating listen despite its gleam", adding that "faster tempos would have helped."[15]
Commercial
On the US
Accolades
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
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AllMusic | AllMusic Best of 2020 | N/A
|
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Billboard | 50 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year | N/A
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Los Angeles Times | The 10 Best Albums of 2020 | 8
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NME | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 4
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Paste | 25 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year | 25
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Uproxx | The Best Albums Of 2020 | 50
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Year | Ceremony | Nominated work | Recipient(s) | Category | Result |
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2021 | Grammy Awards[55] | The New Abnormal | The Strokes | Best Rock Album | Won |
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Julian Casablancas; all music is composed by the Strokes, except where noted.[1]
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Adults Are Talking" | 5:09 | |
2. | "Selfless" | 3:42 | |
3. | "Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus" | 3:55 | |
4. | "Bad Decisions" |
| 4:53 |
5. | "Eternal Summer" | 6:15 | |
6. | "At the Door" |
| 5:10 |
7. | "Why Are Sundays So Depressing" | 4:35 | |
8. | "Not the Same Anymore" | 5:37 | |
9. | "Ode to the Mets" | 5:51 | |
Total length: | 45:07 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[1]
The Strokes
Artwork
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Technical personnel
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Mexico (AMPROFON)[81] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[82] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ a b c d e The New Abnormal (vinyl sleeve). The Strokes. Cult Records; RCA Records. 2020. 19439-70588-1.
{{cite AV media notes}}
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