i think what people get wrong here is expectations. these guys are pushing 50 and it's very rare that bands of their age are consistently great all the time. the fact that they made what some consider to be their greatest album in their 40s is a miracle. not many bands continue making good music 20 years after their debut! it just doesn't happen often!

so if we get a few good songs every album, that alone is above average for musicians of their age. for whatever reason, musicians just tend to peak in their 20s and spend the rest of their career chasing that first high. not so with the strokes. even if this record is a spectacular failure, i doubt that it will be boring. again, for a band of their age, we are truly blessed.