-
10.0
3326
10.0 |
Scotland on Sunday
Brimful of melody and rousing choruses, garnished with the lightest sprinkling of knowing cheesiness, this is dazzling modern pop rock
Read Review
-
8.0
3327
8.0 |
Clash
With his bandmates setting the bar admirably high in their own projects, Casablancas can hold his head high when he next heads into the studio with his colleagues, as ‘Phrazes For The Young’ easily holds its own amongst not only his bandmates’ albums, but The Strokes output proper
Read Review
-
8.0
5998
8.0 |
The Sunday Times
As an advert for further Strokes albums, Phrazes is scarcely enticing; as a showcase for their singer’s innate, almost casual gift for pop songwriting, this album is a stunner. More, please
-
8.0
6000
8.0 |
Evening Standard
It doesn't all work but it is daring and, as with the Strokes, the overall sound is strong and distinct enough to override any concerns about its authenticity
Read Review
-
8.0
6108
8.0 |
PopMatters
There’s much to discover about this album that escapes first notice – from the gorgeous, Bibio-esque groove of “Tourist” to the odd, arresting screech that opens “Ludlow St.”
Read Review
-
8.0
3329
8.0 |
Mojo
Print edition only
-
8.0
5659
8.0 |
The Observer
Even with their twists and turns, they somehow remain direct. And you can even hear a great many of Casablancas's infamously smeared vocals, something missing back in the day. There is a new Strokes record in the pipeline, but it will struggle to be as much fun as this one
Read Review
-
8.0
5688
8.0 |
The Scotsman
Phrazes For The Young turns out to be easily the best, and most surprising, and most independent of the solo efforts to date
Read Review
-
8.0
5746
8.0 |
NME
Recorded under the radar with producer Jason Lader and Bright Eyes collaborator Mike Mogis, it’s a strange little album, just eight songs long but deceptively dense with ideas
Read Review
-
8.0
5844
8.0 |
Uncut
Ultimately, Phrazes For The Young testifies that the qualities that made Julian Casablancas so noteworthy in 2001 remain in place, just a little more difficult to predict. It’s a marathon, not a sprint – Casablancas looks like he’s in for the long haul
Read Review
-
8.0
5919
8.0 |
Spin
This man's career has always been about surfaces. Here, they positively gleam
Read Review
-
8.0
5953
8.0 |
The List
...although we could certainly have done with a few extra songs tacked on at the end here, the Strokes singer leaves us thoroughly giddy and, as ever, craving more
Read Review
-
8.0
6144
8.0 |
musicOMH
All the electronic noise and synthesized keyboard runs provide an interesting counterpoint for Casablancas' deadpan vocals, but this solo album ultimately serves the purpose of opening the door for whatever futuristic visions The Strokes are planning to unleash on us when they finally return from hiatus
Read Review
-
8.0
6453
8.0 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
The first thing that strikes you when listening to Phrazes is just how diverse it is. With no disrespect to the Strokes other constituent parties, Casablancas' individual effort is by far the most varied of the (now) five side-project records
Read Review
-
6.0
7498
6.0 |
God Is In The TV
Casablancas seems suffocated of inspiration, leaving an album with a lot to be desired
Read Review
-
6.0
6143
6.0 |
Rolling Stone
A few songs have the old leather-jacket kick, but things get weirder as he explores alienation from a Lower East Side he once ruled
Read Review
-
6.0
6383
6.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
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
Read Review
-
6.0
5956
6.0 |
The Guardian
When he concentrates on making pop music ... Phrazes for the Young is a blast
Read Review
-
6.0
3328
6.0 |
Q
Print edition only
-
6.0
5978
6.0 |
Independent on Sunday
Written largely – yawn – about being in a band, it's a mixed bag
Read Review
-
6.0
5990
6.0 |
Observer Music Monthly
Print edition only
-
5.5
6137
5.5 |
Pitchfork
...at this rate, this one-time wunderkind risks becoming little more than an emblem of the past if he can't figure out how to harness the present once again
Read Review
-
5.0
6309
5.0 |
Clash
Refusing to serve up another slice of garage rock is laudable. The alternatives offered in its absence, however, are less impressive. The cherry-picking of disparate genres imbues Phrazes for the Young with a distinctly cabaret hue
Read Review
-
4.0
6654
4.0 |
Under The Radar
What sticks with you about Phrazes for the Young isn't that it's finally The Strokes solo project you've actually been waiting for, but just how disappointing and disposable the vast majority of it is
Read Review
-
4.0
5966
4.0 |
The Independent
...one expected more from Casablancas's solo debut, but Phrazes For The Young is an ill-defined, uninspired affair, sorely lacking in potency and direction, suffering from an Eighties hangover
Read Review
-
4.0
5969
4.0 |
The Times
Casablancas doesn’t seem to be missing his old band — if only we could say the same
Read Review
-
3.0
6004
3.0 |
Drowned In Sound
There are moments which hint at Casablancas’ underlying skill as a writer on Phrazes, but there’s such a ruinous deployment of disparate ideas that they never form a cogent whole
-