-
9.0
52544
9.0 |
musicOMH
This record is fun, it’s exuberant, and it’s diverse – and yet nothing sounds unnatural or feels crowbarred in
Read Review
-
8.0
52349
8.0 |
BBC
The songs here might take a little longer to unlock than their predecessors, but none of them strike a false note
Read Review
-
8.0
52351
8.0 |
Clash
They’ve returned with their most thoughtprovoking, strange and sexiest record yet
Read Review
-
8.0
52356
8.0 |
Q
Their best album since they hit perfection with their debut. Print edition only
-
8.0
52357
8.0 |
Drowned In Sound
The Strokes will never get back the raw magic of Is This It? but, with Comedown Machine, they’ve cast a different spell entirely – one that’s almost joyful
Read Review
-
8.0
52439
8.0 |
NME
Most of all, it's fun - a great achievement considering it hasn't looked like fun being in The Strokes for years
Read Review
-
8.0
52473
8.0 |
DIY
Not, then, the most straightforward of albums. But it’s a clever one
Read Review
-
8.0
52517
8.0 |
Independent on Sunday
Comedown Machine is, essentially, The Strokes' 1980s album
Read Review
-
8.0
52660
8.0 |
All Music
A solidly enjoyable album, even if it lacks some of the band's previous spark
Read Review
-
7.5
52640
7.5 |
A.V. Club
Are The Strokes the American version of Phoenix, or is Phoenix the French version of The Strokes?
Read Review
-
7.5
52656
7.5 |
Pretty Much Amazing
The elements are still there, but they aren’t fused in a way consistent with the hopes of those who foresaw The Strokes being the best rock band of our time
Read Review
-
7.0
52585
7.0 |
The Digital Fix
If you've stuck with The Strokes so far, you'll find an album with a quiet charm
Read Review
-
7.0
52588
7.0 |
Consequence Of Sound
They’re not looking to win anyone over; instead, they’re keeping it casual and that shouldn’t be surprising
Read Review
-
7.0
52354
7.0 |
Loud And Quiet
For its more inventive moments it’s already loads better than anything post Juicebox
Read Review
-
7.0
52355
7.0 |
Uncut
It attempts to meld guitars with '80s Europop much like Phoenix have done. Print edition only
-
6.8
52674
6.8 |
Paste Magazine
Reliably solid, mostly enjoyable, slightly disappointing for reasons that are difficult to articulate
Read Review
-
6.2
52586
6.2 |
Beats Per Minute
One hopes that this is a plea for a fresh start instead of their final statement
Read Review
-
6.1
52566
6.1 |
Pitchfork
It’s frustrating for anyone who still puts stock in the idea that the Strokes could and should be one of America’s biggest rock bands
Read Review
-
6.0
52570
6.0 |
PopMatters
An enjoyable album with some great moments, though not a perfect or definitive one
Read Review
-
6.0
52574
6.0 |
Slant Magazine
This may be it for the Strokes, and if things don't end here, the result for their lasting legacy will likely only be more confusing and muddled
Read Review
-
6.0
52576
6.0 |
The Scotsman
More run of the mill than running ahead of the pack
Read Review
-
6.0
52683
6.0 |
Entertainment.ie
A sharp and concise record which might take time to be digested by existing fans but just might see the band gain a few new ones
Read Review
-
6.0
52353
6.0 |
Rolling Stone
Comedown Machine is basically a solo trip for singer Julian Casablancas, showing yet again how much he respects Eighties New Wave
Read Review
-
6.0
52621
6.0 |
Mojo
At least it feels like a band consciously deciding to explore their surroundings rather than collapsing into blank indolence. Print edition only
-
6.0
52520
6.0 |
The Observer
By no means a bad record. It just has the misfortune of being the record that few Strokes fans want from them
Read Review
-
6.0
52489
6.0 |
The Irish Times
It’s an energetic, taut record notable not only for a decent slew of rock tunes but more so for some well executed curveballs
Read Review
-
6.0
52512
6.0 |
Evening Standard
Not the album to put them back on top but a curious collection of Eighties-influenced guitar pop with a handful of great moments
Read Review
-
6.0
52350
6.0 |
The Arts Desk
There are enough stamps of vintage Strokes to ensure that this album couldn't have been made by anybody else
Read Review
-
5.6
52769
5.6 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
A band still overshadowed by a light cast over a decade ago
Read Review
-
4.0
52770
4.0 |
No Ripcord
The Strokes can still occasionally hit the mark when they actually channel themselves as opposed to others
Read Review
-
4.0
52352
4.0 |
The 405
If this is all they can muster, their future looks anything but bright, and the most damning indictment is that they sound bored by the effort
Read Review
-
4.0
52462
4.0 |
State
They either sound like their old selves, but less so or they try too hard to be different, with awkward, contrived results
Read Review
-
4.0
52484
4.0 |
Under The Radar
Basically, every record where they've tried to demonstrate something resembling artistic growth-they've been left scrambling
Read Review
-
4.0
52486
4.0 |
The Guardian
For the most part, this sounds like a band running low on ideas, or motivation, or the indefinable magic that makes a band a band
Read Review
-
4.0
52672
4.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
The Strokes have shamefully settled for average, and have failed even at that
Read Review
-
3.0
52671
3.0 |
The Quietus
Surely being The Strokes shouldn't be, and shouldn't sound like, such hard work?
Read Review
-
2.0
52596
2.0 |
Art Rocker
They were once great, now let’s accept that that was the past and move on
Read Review
-