Reality Awaits

At the start of the 2020s, when the 20-year nostalgia cycle caught up with The Strokes, their newfound teenage fans not only had the band’s undeniable first two albums to spin, but also the recently released <i>The New Abnormal</i>, a Grammy-winner produced by Rick Rubin. In the years since, The Strokes’ popularity has continued to grow—they even played right before Justin Bieber on Coachella’s main stage in 2026. On <i>Reality Awaits</i>, another Rubin collaboration, The Strokes return to their mid-period predilection for upending expectations and indulging bandleader Julian Casablancas’ creative impulses. Casablancas has always had a thing for vocal effects and here, he goes full tilt, employing AutoTune as a stylistic tool on multiple tracks. He also ad-libs in an over-the-top English accent a few times and repeats, “I’m a leech” over and over on <b>“The Fruits of Conquest”.</b> The many ingredients on album closer <b>“Tyrants of the Mellow Moon”</b> include Radiohead vibes, a brief ’80s-toned guitar solo and a Jim Morrison-esque spoken word outro. Lyrically, Casablancas wonders what to make of The Strokes’ refound relevance, knowing that any monument they make may eventually be forgotten. On <b>“Going Shopping”,</b> the album’s first single, he sings, “I’ve been thinking about what I wanna say/But I’m an old man, at least that’s what they tell me anyway.” Time will tell.