The Strokes is back and the band has a few tricks up its sleeve. Reality Awaits, their first album since The New Abnormal, released in 2020, was produced with legendary producer Rick Rubin. Their latest release is arguably their most adventurous output yet since their debut album, Is This It?, released 25 years ago. However, Reality Awaits suffers from their most eye-rolling melodic writing to date, almost dragging down creative progressions with it.
For about a quarter of a century, The Strokes have continued to outdo themselves in every album, sending every rock fan from every generation to talk about their impact in the rock scene at large. Consisting of vocalist Julian Casablancas, lead guitarist Nick Valensi, rhythm guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti, their 2001 debut album sent a frenzy of media calling them “the saviors of rock” at a time when leather jackets, lo-fi production, and the trashy spirit of garage rock had almost gone out of style. Their first albums — particularly Is This It? (2001), Room on Fire (2003), and First Impressions of Earth (2005) — catapulted them to mainstream consciousness. They are mostly known for their unique, brazen brand of angular guitar playing and gritty vocals, with songs like “The Modern Age,” “Last Nite,” “You Only Live Once,” and “Reptilia,” to name a few. Their music has never escaped the rock discussion amongst fans, and Reality Awaits is proof that they are still the talk of the town.
But as the music media would ask, can The Strokes save rock ‘n’ roll again? The album, frankly, doesn’t completely answer the question. Unsurprisingly, all five members show off their own skill sets in Reality Awaits; however, Casablancas’ use of autotune for nearly half the album’s runtime, experimenting with his trademark twisted vocal runs that come out either jarring or charming, results in a mixed bag of an album.
The Hits and Misses of ‘Reality Awaits’
The album starts off with Casablancas’ heavily autotuned voice in the first track, “Psycho Shit,” an introduction that might put off some listeners for how digitally twisted his vocals can get in the melange of atmospheric guitar crescendos and walls of sound. “Psycho Shit” seems to channel Casablancas’ more emotional side, akin to his other band, The Voidz’s 10-minute epic “Human Sadness.” But it is done rather sloppily, and not as a nod to experimentation, as the autotune makes his voice audibly and awkwardly crack throughout the song.
Then, right as the first track finishes, the album immediately jettisons to a slightly faster tempo, albeit with heavier and fuzzier guitar tones, in “Dine N’ Dash,” with Casablancas commanding the listener with his effortless melodies about escaping the diner and how he couldn’t afford to commit to such dastardly deeds. “Lonely in the Future” follows up with a highly danceable, face-melting riff as Hammond and Valensi’s classic interplay shines throughout the track.
In one of the album’s weaker points, “Falling in Love” puts the album in autotune mode again with yet another slow and grating performance by Casablancas, singing about “dancing in the acid rain” and how he is “still immature.” The track lasts for more than six minutes, and yet the runtime doesn’t warrant the length; it is an aimless journey that drags through Casablancas’ autotuned drawls as he reaches for vocal ranges that, perhaps, he couldn’t realistically achieve.
Hammond, Valensi, and the Band’s Return to Form
But on the flip side, “Going to Babble On” sees Casablancas contemplating how “the world is just moving too fast” and how it seems to affect his daily life, reflecting on the album’s themes of reality hitting you. Surprisingly, the track in particular broke the curse of the hit-or-miss sequence of the first four tracks of the album, as it began an enjoyable run right after. Songs like “Going Shopping,” “Liar’s Remorse,” and “The Fruits of Conquest” feature their strongest performances in chorus writing, head-bopping rhythms, and emotionally driven guitar solos that accompany Casablancas’ spiraling vocal delivery.
The real stars of the album — and actual saviors of the band — are Hammond, Valensi, Moretti, and Fraiture with their catchy riffs, groovy bass lines, and flexible drumming improving throughout Reality Awaits. However, Casablancas’ glaring presence failed to give them a proper spotlight. The Strokes have proven that they can reinvent themselves without losing sight of their signature, but Reality Awaits might just be the band’s biggest dud in their entire discography.
Had Casablancas kept his vocals raw, or created more sonic red threads (such as the electronic textures and synths in “Going on Babble On” and “Going Shopping”), the album’s songwriting might not have been overshadowed by its lackluster attempts at experimentation. The strongest moments in Reality Awaits only make their attempt more frustrating, showing a band that keeps burying solid songs beneath creative decisions that rarely justify themselves.
The Strokes are clearly not running out of ideas. But Reality Awaits is evidence that, for the first time in years, they don’t know which ideas are worth following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reality Awaits is The Strokes’ seventh studio album. It was released on July 23, 2026.
The album was produced by legendary producer Rick Rubin, who has worked on the Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magick, and Kanye West’s Yeezus.
The lineup consists of vocalist Julian Casablancas, lead guitarist Nick Valensi, rhythm guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti.
The Strokes won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 2021 for The New Abnormal. They have headlined several festivals including Lollapalooza, Primavera Sound, and All Points East.
The name of Julian Casablancas’ other band besides The Strokes is called The Voidz. They are known to have released a 10-minute single titled “Human Sadness.”
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