Julian Casablancas is a man deep in turmoil. In 2001, he was the chief architect responsible for the re-birth of distorted guitar cool, fronting possibly the most influential band of the decade, The Strokes. The throne of modern pop music rightfully belonged to him.However, somewhere Casablancas lost his way. The Strokes went on an extended hiatus and gradually lost their momentum, inevitably fragmenting into a series of average-at-best solo projects, and leaving a number of pretenders fighting for the crown which, by all rights, should belong to them.Which brings us to Casablancas’ Phrazes for the Young, the latest, and probably most-anticipated solo record originating from a Strokes member.Opening with ‘Out Of The Blue’, Casablancas gets straight to the point and offers a possible explanation to his, well, lets face it, disappointing contribution to songwriting since the phenomenal debut record from The Strokes: “Somewhere along the way my hopefulness turned to sadness, somewhere along the way my sadness turned to bitterness...” and so on.For all intents and purposes, ‘Out Of The Blue’ progresses with the musicology of the archetypical Strokes tune. But from there-on in, Phrazes takes a turn, and it’s hard to tell as to whether it’s for better or worse.Casablancas’ has moved his trademark appreciation for retro forward a decade or two. Heavy distortion and Lou Reed drawls have been replaced by glamorous compositions and, perhaps, an over-excessive fondness for synthesizers.Perhaps, as an avid supporter of The Strokes, I’m merely motivated by nostalgia into being vindictive of Casablancas’ solo effort. It’s clear he still has an unrivalled knack for melody, and his songwriting is still consistent throughout. This is merely a case of the wrong record at the wrong time.Phrazes is a record steeped in contradiction. It longs to maintain the edgy sense of cool The Strokes first introduced, but it’s been forced kicking and screaming to mature for a more mainstream audience. Overall, the record shares a lot of parallels with the 80s, the very decade from which it has seemingly been inspired: clustered, stubborn, and unsure of its own identity.Frankly, Phrazes for the Young is a slap in the face, teasing all those who have been patient with The Strokes for many years, waiting for them return to their former glory. The one shining light is the subtle hints throughout that Casablancas is ready to return and reclaim his kingdom. If he wants to.

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