The New Abnormal

The Strokes 2020 retrospective
indie-rock alternative-rock post-punk-revival
A mature, emotionally exposed return produced by Rick Rubin, channeling two decades of history into patient, vulnerable rock songs that earned the Strokes their first Grammy and overdue critical respect.
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Similar Albums

Grouped by the kind of closeness: sound first, then mood, era, and artistic phase.

Same Artist / Nearby Phase

Useful neighbors inside the same discography, where the artist is moving through adjacent periods.

1
Room on FireThe Strokes(2003)same artist
sound86% mood47% era61% phase50%
Same artistShared mood: yearning, melancholyClose sound profile
63%
2
Comedown MachineThe Strokes(2013)same artist
sound71% mood47% era75% phase72%
Same artistShared mood: yearning, melancholy
55%
3
Is This ItThe Strokes(2001)same artist
sound76% mood23% era47% phase50%
Same artistShared mood: yearningClose sound profile
52%
4
First Impressions of EarthThe Strokes(2006)same artist
sound77% mood0% era65% phase58%
Same artistClose sound profile
50%
5
AnglesThe Strokes(2011)same artist
sound74% mood0% era72% phase72%
Same artistClose sound profile
48%

Closest Sound

Albums with nearby density, space, production feel, vocals, and style.

1
The Magic WhipBlur(2015)
sound85% mood35% era93% phase70%
Close sound profileSimilar productionSimilar vocal treatment
81%
2
Stories from the City, Stories from the SeaPJ Harvey(2000)
sound86% mood18% era56% phase50%
Close sound profileSimilar productionSimilar vocal treatment
81%
3
BloodsportsSuede(2013)
sound83% mood47% era90% phase100%
Close sound profileSimilar productionSimilar vocal treatment
80%
4
I'm with YouRed Hot Chili Peppers(2011)
sound84% mood18% era87% phase55%
Close sound profileSimilar productionSimilar vocal treatment
79%
5
Louder Than BombsThe Smiths(1987)
sound82% mood52% era38% phase70%
Close sound profileSimilar productionSimilar vocal treatment
77%

Same Mood

Albums sharing the emotional palette and thematic atmosphere.

1
Dog Man StarSuede(1994)
sound77% mood70% era48% phase30%
Shared mood: vulnerability, yearningClose sound profile
66%
2
The BendsRadiohead(1995)
sound75% mood70% era49% phase40%
Shared mood: vulnerability, yearningClose sound profile
66%
3
Take CareDrake(2011)
sound59% mood70% era62% phase10%
Shared mood: vulnerability, yearning
64%
4
Night BeatSam Cooke(1963)
sound75% mood70% era20% phase10%
Shared mood: vulnerability, yearningClose sound profile
64%
5
New Adventures in Hi-FiR.E.M.(1996)
sound80% mood52% era51% phase70%
Shared mood: vulnerability, yearningClose sound profile
54%

Same Era Feel

Albums close in historical moment or in how they relate to their era.

1
Unlimited LoveRed Hot Chili Peppers(2022)
sound80% mood18% era97% phase70%
2 years apartSimilar era stanceShared style: alternative-rock
77%
2
Return of the Dream CanteenRed Hot Chili Peppers(2022)
sound79% mood18% era97% phase70%
2 years apartSimilar era stanceShared style: alternative-rock
77%
3
The Ballad of DarrenBlur(2023)
sound80% mood18% era96% phase70%
3 years apartSimilar era stanceShared style: indie-rock
76%
4
Our Pathetic AgeDJ Shadow(2019)
sound60% mood35% era99% phase70%
1 year apartSimilar era stance
75%
5
MultitudeStromae(2022)
sound63% mood35% era97% phase70%
2 years apartSimilar era stance
75%

Same Career Phase

Similar artist-position moments: early statement, breakthrough, reinvention, mature work, or late period.

1
Songs from the West CoastElton John(2001)
sound80% mood23% era73% phase100%
Same career phaseShared mood: melancholy
83%
2
MTV Unplugged in New YorkNirvana(1994)
sound81% mood23% era62% phase100%
Same career phaseShared mood: vulnerability
82%
3
No GeographyThe Chemical Brothers(2019)
sound55% mood0% era99% phase100%
Same career phase1 year apart
80%
4
Harvest MoonNeil Young(1992)
sound73% mood18% era60% phase100%
Same career phaseShared mood: yearning
79%
5
Heaven or Las VegasCocteau Twins(1990)
sound69% mood35% era42% phase100%
Same career phaseShared mood: vulnerability, yearning
78%

Acoustic Profile

Density 5 Spatiality 5 Distortion 3 Tempo 5 Rhythm 3 Harmony 5

Production

Method: live-dominant
Fidelity: polished
Rick Rubin's reductive production philosophyextended song structures with patient buildswarmer, more spacious guitar tones than early worklive band performance with minimal studio manipulation

Vocal

Approach: sung
Lyrical Abstraction:
5/10

Mood & Theme

vulnerability yearning melancholy
Territory: middle-age-reckoning, nostalgic-self-awareness, emotional-maturity, pandemic-era-unease
Emotional Arc: weary-reflection-building-to-hard-won-catharsis

Era & Context

Released just as COVID-19 lockdowns began, The New Abnormal felt accidentally prophetic. Rick Rubin's production stripped the band back to essentials while allowing longer, more emotionally exposed compositions. It earned the Strokes their first Grammy (Best Rock Album) and critical reappraisal, proving the band could channel nostalgia without being trapped by it.

Career Phase

Late Renaissance 2020

A mature reunion album produced by Rick Rubin that channels early energy through emotional depth, earning their first Grammy and critical reappraisal.

Distant Connections (4)

A second layer for farther resonances: connections that may not sound closest at first, but still point somewhere useful.

The Bends Radiohead (1995)
6/10
vulnerability-as-weapon
Wish The Cure (1992)
5/10
vulnerability-as-weapon
The Ballad of Darren Blur (2023)
5/10
nostalgia-as-mediumvulnerability-as-weapon
Little Creatures Talking Heads (1985)
4/10
nostalgia-as-medium

Influences

Absorbed from

The Head on the Door — Emotionally direct pop melody construction with bittersweet undertones Fear of Music — Anxious art-rock tension beneath accessible pop surfaces