Phrazes for the Young | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 2, 2009 | |||
Recorded | 2009 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 40:08 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Julian Casablancas chronology | ||||
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Singles from Phrazes for the Young | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 72/100[1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
musicOMH | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | 8/10[5] |
Now Magazine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
PopMatters | 8/10[7] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spin | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Uncut | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Phrazes for the Young is the debut solo album by American singer-songwriter Julian Casablancas. It was released through his own Cult Records label, via RCA and Rough Trade Records, on November 2, 2009, in the United Kingdom and the following day in the United States.[7]
Casablancas, who is best known for being the front man of New York City-based rock band the Strokes, recorded the eight-song album in 2009 in New York City, Los Angeles, and Omaha, Nebraska. Jason Lader and Mike Mogis (the latter of Bright Eyes and Monsters of Folk) served as producers.[12] The album title is a reference to Oscar Wilde's "Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young".[13] Casablancas' dog, Balki, is pictured on the album sleeve.[14]
Critical reception was mostly positive, although Casablancas has since expressed regret about the project, stating, "I had all these different ideas, [but] I thought 'if I go too weird, people won't take it seriously,' so I did the safest ideas [...] And then... maybe it became this 'oh, this is what he does when he's on his own' vs. The Strokes, and that was annoying, frustrating."[15]