Comedown Machine

Comedown Machine is the fifth studio album by indie rock band The Strokes, released on March 25, 2013, under RCA Records. The project featured a noticeably different sound compared to their earlier efforts, with a much more laid-back vibe.

The artwork, designed to resemble old RCA magnetic reel packaging, heavy-handedly points toward the fact that Comedown Machine was the final album The Strokes were obligated to record under their contract with RCA Records; hinting that it was indeed the last shackle holding the members of the band together. This was something fans feared ever since news of the fractured collaboration on Angles came to light.

These doubts were further solidified by the band deciding to pull a media blackout with the album, with no promotional appearances at all. Even the tracklist lent further credence to fans’ fears, with track titles like “Tap Out” and “Happy Ending” suggestive of a bittersweet goodbye, and the inevitability of a Strokes break-up up hinted at by “Call It Fate, Call It Karma.”

Thankfully, on September 27, 2015, frontman Julian Casablancas laid all fears to rest by announcing that The Strokes were back in studio, which came resulted in the release of the Future Present Past EP.