Comedown Machine
Comedown Machine | ||||
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Studio album by The Strokes | ||||
Released | March 26, 2013 | |||
Recorded |
July – November 2012 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City; One Way Studios in Upstate New York | |||
Genre | Indie rock, post-punk revival, garage rock, new wave, synthpop | |||
Length | 39:55 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Gus Oberg | |||
The Strokes chronology | ||||
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Singles from Comedown Machine | ||||
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Comedown Machine is the fifth studio album by the American indie rock band The Strokes. It was released on March 26, 2013 in the US, and on March 25 in the UK.[1] Comedown Machine was the final release in fulfilling the band's contract agreement with longtime label RCA Records. The band decided to pull a media blackout with the album: no promotion in the form of TV appearances, interviews, photos, shows, or tours.
The album artwork is designed to resemble an old RCA tape reel box. The cover lists the album length as 37:49; the actual length is 39:55. The vinyl LP edition of the album was pressed by United Record Pressing in Nashville, TN.
Comedown Machine received mostly positive reviews and was ranked number 41 in NME's 50 Best Albums of 2013.
Reception
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 68/100[2] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
The A.V. Club | B[4] |
BBC Music | favorable[5] |
Billboard | 68%[6] |
Consequence of Sound | [7] |
Entertainment Weekly | C-[8] |
The Guardian | [9] |
The Independent | [10] |
NME | 8/10[11] |
Pitchfork | 6.1/10[12] |
PopMatters | [13] |
Rolling Stone | [14] |
Spin | [15] |
Critical
Media response to Comedown Machine was generally favorable; the aggregating website Metacritic reports a weighted average rating of 68%, based on 44 reviews.[2] "Whether you're in an Is This It vortex or not, this is The Strokes and they've returned with their most thought-provoking, strange and sexiest record yet," said Kieran Mayall of Clash magazine.[16] James Skinner of BBC Music added, "Although plenty of the group’s signature sounds are present and correct, they form the backdrop to an unexpectedly wide range of styles and approaches."[5] In contrast, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone questioned why the album was "an official Strokes album instead of another Casablancas solo album."[14]
Commercial
Without much promotional effort, Comedown Machine entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 10 and became the band's first album not to debut within the top three. The album did, however, give the band their fifth consecutive appearance in the top ten.[17] Likewise, it reached No.10 in the US with an entry sales week of 41,000 units, the band's weakest performance since Is This It in 2001.[18]
Chart performance
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
No. of weeks on chart |
---|---|---|
Australian Albums Chart[19] | 7 | 3 |
Austrian Albums Chart | 21 | 2 |
Belgian Flanders Albums Chart | 31 | 15 |
Belgian Wallonia Albums Chart[20] | 49 | 8 |
Canadian Albums Chart[21] | 17 | 1 |
Chinese Albums Chart | 16 | 4 |
Danish Albums Chart | 27 | 1 |
Dutch Albums Chart | 42 | 2 |
Finnish Albums Chart | 48 | 1 |
French Albums Chart | 17 | 7 |
German Albums Chart | 50 | 2 |
Irish Albums Chart | 9 | 5 |
Italian Albums Chart | 31 | 4 |
Japanese Albums Chart[22] | 9 | 13 |
Mexican Albums Chart | 10 | 2 |
New Zealand Albums Chart | 18 | 2 |
Norwegian Albums Chart | 10 | 1 |
Portuguese Albums Chart | 18 | 3 |
Spanish Albums Chart | 16 | 6 |
Swedish Albums Chart | 28 | 1 |
Swiss Albums Chart | 16 | 4 |
UK Albums Chart | 10 | 3 |
US Billboard 200[18] | 10 | 5 |
US Billboard Alternative Albums [23] | 3 | 1 |
US Billboard Digital Albums [24] | 7 | 1 |
US Billboard Rock Albums [25] | 3 | 1 |
US Billboard Tastemaker Albums | 1 | 1 |
Singles
"All the Time", premiered on Zane Lowe on February 14, 2013, and was made available for download on February 19. The 7" was officially released on April 1, 2013 and contained "Fast Animals" as the B-side.[26]
Information |
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"All the Time"
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Track listing
All songs written and arranged by The Strokes.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Tap Out" | 3:42 | |
2. | "All the Time" | 3:01 | |
3. | "One Way Trigger" |
|
4:02 |
4. | "Welcome to Japan" |
|
3:50 |
5. | "80's Comedown Machine" |
|
4:58 |
6. | "50/50" | 2:42 | |
7. | "Slow Animals" |
|
4:20 |
8. | "Partners in Crime" |
|
3:21 |
9. | "Chances" |
|
3:36 |
10. | "Happy Ending" | 2:52 | |
11. | "Call It Fate, Call It Karma" |
|
3:24 |
Total length: |
39:55 |
Japanese bonus track[26] | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
12. | "Fast Animals" | 3:43 |
Total length: |
43:32 |
Personnel
The Strokes
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Production
Design
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References
- ↑ "The Strokes Announce Fifth Studio Album, 'Comedown Machine'". Billboard. January 30, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- 1 2 "Comedown Machine by The Strokes". Metacritic.com. March 19, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ↑ Phares, Heather (March 25, 2013). "Comedown Machine - The Strokes". AllMusic. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
- ↑ Modell, Josh (March 26, 2012). "The Strokes: Comedown Machine". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
- 1 2 James Skinner (March 19, 2013). "The Strokes Comedown Machine Review". BBC Music. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
- ↑ Payne, Chris (March 25, 2013). "The Strokes, 'Comedown Machine': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
- ↑ Roffman, Michael (March 25, 2013). "Album Review: The Strokes – Comedown Machine". Retrieved March 29, 2013.
- ↑ Anderson, Kyle (March 20, 2013). "Comedown Machine Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
- ↑ Nicholson, Rebecca (March 21, 2013). "The Strokes: Comedown Machine – review". The Guardian. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ↑ Gill, Andy (March 22, 2013). "Album review: The Strokes, Comedown Machine (Rough Trade)". The Independent. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ↑ Stubbs, Dan (March 25, 2013). "The Strokes - 'Comedown Machine'". NME. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ↑ Cohen, Ian (March 25, 2013). "The Strokes - Comedown Machine". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
- ↑ Faulkner, Brent (March 25, 2013). "The Strokes: Comedown Machine". PopMatters. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- 1 2 Sheffield, Rob (March 18, 2013). "The Strokes". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
- ↑ Harris, Keith (March 25, 2013). "The Strokes, ‘Comedown Machine’". Spin. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ↑ Mayall, Kieran (March 18, 2013). "Strokes - Comedown Machine". Clash Magazine. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
- ↑ "PJ & Duncan top the Official UK Singles Chart with 'Let's Get Ready To Rhumble'". NME. March 31, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
- 1 2 Caulfield, Keith (April 3, 2013). "Justin Timberlake's '20/20' Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
- ↑ "The Strokes - Comedown Machine - Music Charts". Acharts.us. March 30, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
- ↑ "The Strokes - Comedown Machine". Ultratop. April 1, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
- ↑ "The Strokes - Comedown Machine - Music Charts". Acharts.us. 2013-01-01. Retrieved 2013-05-12.
- ↑ "The Strokes - Comedown Machine". Oricon. April 4, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
- ↑ "The Strokes - Comedown Machine". Billboard Alternative Albums. April 4, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
- ↑ "The Strokes - Comedown Machine". Billboard Alternative Albums. April 13, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
- ↑ "The Strokes - Comedown Machine". Billboard Alternative Albums. April 13, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
- 1 2 "The Strokes reveal new single B-side 'Fast Animals' - listen". NME. March 25, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
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