Julian Casablancas + The Voidz: Tyranny

Five years after his first solo foray, Julian Casablancas takes a different tack for his second endeavour outside The Strokes. The Voidz is an entirely different proposition to the New York indie-rockers, experimenting with off-kilter key changes, electronic instrumentation and free-flowing rhythms over the course of an hour. The album tips into self- indulgence on more than one occasion, but the improv jam-feel to songs such as Father Electricity is enlightening. Casablancas' trademark drawl remains mostly intact, while agreeable traces of thrashy, industrial punk and 1960s psych-rock are audible amid the eerie effects. Some editing would have fixed the hedonistic digressions, but as experimental wig-outs go, this is curiously enjoyable. juliancasablancas.com