Walton Goggins played his part well. The actor posted on Instagram how excited he was to appear in the Strokes' video for their new single, "Going Shopping," and Goggins' Chevy Chase-like appearance makes the video watchable. The song? Not so much.
For fans of Paul Simon and his iconic video for "You Can Call Me Al," one understands that he sits next to Chase while the comedian pantomimes throughout. It's a quirky song and a quikrier performance, but that's what made the whole thing so fun.
Goggins helps make up for the lack of fun in the Strokes song. The actor lip-syncs the vocals, dances around in style, smiles in a way that forces the viewer to smile too, and just is his normally high-end entertaining self.
Walton Goggins might have just saved the Strokes from themselves
The issue with the song is the same problem that permeates a once-great band's latest album, Reality Awaits. More specifically, the band's problem is singer Julian Casablancas. When the group started in New York City, they had a rawness to their sound. It was more garage-rock and pop-rock.
The hits weren't needed and were beside the point. The Strokes made great albums that weren't overly produced, and many times the lyrics were buried at the same level as the rest of the instruments. They were a true band, and not a collection of people where one member stood out more than the others.
Today's Strokes differ. The sound is clearer, somewhat happier (which is fine except the experience somehow feels forced and fake), but Casablancas' vocals are obviously auto-tuned to a degree, giving his voice a plastic ambience. He might as well not even be singing. The band should have gotten together and had the "vocalist" be AI.
The difference in sound would have been minimal between a computer-driven one and whatever Casablancas has been trying to do ever since he began changing how he does business with the Voidz. The Strokes were once one of us, making music that we all cared about. Now, Casablancas doesn't care to share his own true vocals on studio albums. It's just sad.
At least all the decisions the band makes aren't wrong. Including Walton Goggins in the video above was a smart move, and the excitement on his IG post is catchy. Having Johann Rashid direct "Going Shopping" was shrewd, too. Including the clowns in the video? You can blame that on the director, if you need to find fault. What needs to be cleared up is how Julian Casablancas records his singing.
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