‘Phrazes for the Young’ was one of the most anticipated albums of the year for me, as a fan of the Strokes I have to admit that I was expecting something very similar. So to hear that Casablancas had adopted synths to his repertoire of instruments was at first a surprise and at second a delight. Following 2006’s disappointingly stale ‘First Impressions of Earth’ I was apprehensive, but at the same time I wanted to hear the Strokes front man let loose to his own devices. As such, I listened to ‘Phrazes for the Young’ with a somewhat open mind, expecting the album to go in one of two ways... After listening to ‘Phrazes for the Young’ several times I have come to the conclusion that it is an album that grows, peaks and then fades. Opening tracks ‘Out of the Blue’ and ‘Left & Right in the Dark’ exhibit Casablancas’ ambition as a solo/singer songwriter, but they never amount to much and sound more like a pastiche of old eighties ballads. However, ‘11th Dimension’ then takes that pastiche and applies pop sensibilities (I think it does, the term has now become critical jargon for accessible) and picks up the pace and sets a foreground for the bottomless timbres of Casablancas’ music. ‘4 Chords of the Apocalypse’ and ‘Ludlow St.’ demonstrate a remorse that the singer shied away from in previous years, fraught with regret and sombre tones demonstrate a maturity in the singer and signs of aging. ‘River of Brake lights’ then takes the momentum to the next level and embodies the drive of any Strokes record imbued with synths and lyrics that dabble in ingenious wordplay. But, then come ‘Glass’ and ‘Tourist’, two songs that take the mounting momentum provided by the songs previously and does nothing with it. In a way it’s tragic that Casablancas seems to have run out of ideas after four songs of sheer brilliance... Overall, ‘Phrazes for the Young’ is an album of dual responses, at times it elicits deep emotional catharsis, whilst at others it leaves the listener cold and alienated. It can definitely be said that the tracks introducing and closing the album are not nearly as strong as those which occupy the middle. The record will never be brilliant because of its weak points, but should be recognised for its achievements. After all, following the Strokes’ somewhat declining career to hear songs that are as provocative and interesting as ‘Is This It”s more brilliant moments is something of a relief, and leaves the prospect of a more exciting fourth album from the band all the more likely.