We’ve been hearing about Phrazes for the Young, the Julian Casablancas solo album, for a while, but today we’ve finally got something to sample: Earlier this week, the Strokes front man kicked out eight new tunes at a show in Tokyo, and some remarkably steady footage has appeared on YouTube. Considering that Casablancas wrote all the Strokes songs and everything, one wouldn’t expect too big a departure, and there isn’t one — the two new songs available are slower and less catchy but still recognizably Strokes-y. Spin’s report mentions “Left & Right,†an up-tempto track that “was the Strokesiest song of the set,†so we’ll reserve judgment till we hear that one. Otherwise, these are pretty snoozy, to the point where Casablancas’s snazzy vest becomes a highlight.
Strokes’ Julian Casablancas Debuts Solo Tunes [SPIN via Prefix]