The Strokes began writing interesting new music at about the time they had completely lost their national audience, on account of two failed follow ups to their amazing first album. Those two albums detoured into tinny semi-heavy rock with all kinds of inefficiency in arrangement. They seemed to be searching for a sound that would maybe establish them as a hard rock group, even as much of the the population was growing tired of the heavy music sound. Years after failure and drugs and infighting scattered their hall of fame potential, the Strokes regrouped and made the mind of music they probably should've tried to make all along, embracing their gifts for writing crisscrossing guitar pointillism and complimenting them with Julian Casablancas's unique voice and a more beautiful production sheen. Pity. At least it's a lesson that no one is entitled to anything.