5/10

The Strokes' side-projects have always proven to be worth a listen over the years. And while the rest of the band work their way into a whole range of new and interesting ideas, frontman Julian Casablancas and his band The Voidz never really strayed too far from The Strokes' core sound when they released their 2014 debut album 'Tyranny'. But now simply known as The Voidz (instead of Julian Casablancas + The Voidz), it seems that the band are looking to step away from their initial direction and become less reliant on the expectations of their familiar frontman.

While the intentions of this new album may have been to break away from their formative sound, that doesn't really come across on the opener 'Leave It In My Dreams'. But while that single may have the most in common with The Strokes' direction, much of the album does look to experiment with new ideas. Yet while some work well with Julian's distinct vocals, much of the record just doesn't seem to match the pace of the others and results in a rather half-baked concept.

It's a shame that this record doesn't match up to the singles we have heard so far but it just seems that The Voidz are trying too many new things without focusing on anything in particular. Once they have settled on something, we may see a release a bit more special the next time around.