No. 361: Julian Casablancas - "Phrazes For The Young" (2009)

I was at a poker night a few months ago with "The Boys" and was chatting with a mate about what we'd been listening to lately. He said to me, "Have you heard Julian Casablancas's solo album"?
"No", I replied.  "What's it like?"
"Well it's ..... interesting".
He's a man of few words, but that was enough to pique my curiosity.
For those unfamiliar, Casablancas is the lead singer of The Strokes - the kings of New York Garage/Indie rock. I was expecting a re-hash of Strokes-styled rockers, and I'm glad to say I was way off the mark.
This is a great futuristic-sounding pop album full of drum machines & synths. There's only 8 tracks and it doesn't even last 40 minutes, but its has so many ideas woven into each song that it never gets the chance to become boring or predictable. Heck, there's even a waltz on here, in the form of "Ludlow Street" - possibly the album's highlight, delivered in that trademark deadpan vocal style.
Hats off to Casablancas: he could have churned out a quick Strokes rip-off, but he's seized the opportunity to do something different and do it better than a lot of people probably expected. 
He also drops one of the best lines on record in recent memory:

"And yes I know I'm going to hell in a leather jacket,

At least I'll be in another world while you're pissing on my casket"

I hear you man. Preach it!