Single Review: Going Shopping by The Strokes
Written by Liam M. Hennessey
Few bands get the privilege of becoming generational talents, and even fewer get the honor of being generational icons. The Strokes achieved both of these accomplishments right out the gate when they released Is This It in 2001, and it was by no stroke of luck either. Many years of hard work and several albums of consistent excellence later, The Strokes have prepared a new album for us to enjoy. Following 2020’s The New Abnormal, this is the longest gap the band has had without new music since the period in-between 2005’s First Impressions of Earth and 2011’s Angles. So with the release of this new single for their upcoming album Reality Awaits, what do fans have to look forward to following the massive success of The New Abnormal?
If Going Shopping is an accurate indication of the tone of Reality Awaits, this upcoming album should be a continuation of the energy laid out on The New Abnormal. Namely, a light and breezy psychedelic indie project with heavy synth usage. The timbre of this track, a tongue-in-cheek extension of the social commentary, is bright and ideal for a summer drive to the beach. The instrumentation is crisply produced, with each player’s part not just complementing the song as a whole but also standing out in their own right. Julian Casablancas’ vocals are woven through a vocoder, similar to his feature on Daft Punk’s hit Instant Crush, and it works just as well here. The springy vocals bounce back and forth with the backing instrumentation in a way that enhances the psychedelic vision they had for this track perfectly.
For a track that sounds as light as it is, the lyrical content is a stark reminder that The Strokes were never ones to shy away from difficult topics, especially social commentary. As one could expect from the title “Going Shopping," the track is a direct commentary on consumerism and capitalism. They specifically highlight alienation of the worker and the growing desire for people to escape from an increasingly concerning state of affairs, and how that ultimately can feel just as damaging as refusing to unplug from the world. He also highlights consumerism and capitalism’s corrupting nature in my favorite line from the song: “Solidarity can be difficult when you got cool stuff to lose." While people can claim to be radical, they often forget that to be radical is to make a break with the establishment, regardless of whether that causes discomfort.
I’m excited for the other singles to drop in the coming weeks and even more excited for Reality Awaits as a whole after listening to this initial single. Ultimately, Going Shopping is entirely on brand for The Strokes; classic but modern at the same time.
