Julian Casablancas 11th Dimension (Cult Records/Rough Trade)
4/5
By: Bronya Francis
O! What a relief it is to hear Casablanca’s addictive voice again. He has gone all electro as well, yet kept the super duper song writing skills to hand. Over an airy keyboard and brash drum machine he provides an autobiographical, disguised as instructional, narrative: “Forgive them even if they are not sorry,/ All the vultures, bootleggers at the door waiting,/ You are looking for your own voice but you’re nervous,/ While it leaves you trapped in another dimension.”
This new single is from The Strokes’ lead singer’s debut solo LP, produced by Jason Lader. He’s the producer that took charge of the Monsters Of Folk record. That makes this new record quite exciting. It’s through the production that he captures “the catchiness of modern music”, as Casablancas aimed to do; yet his lyrics encompass the “power and seriousness” that he also wanted to convey in concurrence with the pop facet of his new sound.
‘11th Dimension’ definitely demonstrates that Julian Casablancas has still “got music, coming out of [his] hands and feet and kisses”. Oh how envious mediocre GarageBand musicians must be to know that he has the ability to effortlessly write quite excellent eighties electronic throwback music. Even the “woo” near the end of the song is convincing.
He’s made what looked for all the world like a step in the wrong direction in to a step in the right one.
Artists in this article: Julian Casablancas
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