The Strokes Push Auto-Tune Further on New Single “Falling Out Of Love”

The Strokes have gone back into their robot-voice era. On their new single “Falling Out Of Love,” the band lean into a heartbreak ballad that’s soft around the edges, even as Julian Casablancas buries his vocal under layers of digital processing so aggressively that, at points, it barely reads as human.

The song arrives after last month’s announcement of Reality Awaits and the release of “Going Shopping,” which already found Casablancas deep in Auto-Tune territory. This one takes the idea even further. Built on a loping midtempo groove, “Falling Out Of Love” is, in most respects, a pretty and soulful track. Casablancas still gets to stretch out vocally, but the filters are so pronounced, and the song runs past six minutes, that the effect becomes impossible to miss. Depending on your tolerance for that kind of thing, it’s either the joke or the whole point.

Rick Rubin produced Reality Awaits, and it’s not hard to wonder what those sessions sounded like whenever Casablancas decided to pile on yet another layer of processing. The Strokes will play “Falling Out Of Love” live for the first time on Colbert tomorrow night, and they’ve also recently announced a lengthy run of tour dates.

Reality Awaits is out 6/26 via Cult/RCA. Hear “Falling Out Of Love” below.