The Strokes' seventh album 'Reality Awaits' has divided their fanbase after six years away, with sceptics questioning whether the New York band had already peaked with 2020's 'The New Abnormal'. Casablancas' use of auto-tune across roughly two-thirds of the record, Rick Rubin's production helm, and lyrical shots at music critic Anthony Fantano fuelled criticism, though these compositional choices remain consistent with the band's long-established approach to their sound.

Defenders point to 'Dine N Dash', the album's second track, as evidence the band remains creatively vital. Opening with guitar work reminiscent of The Cure, the song features untreated vocals from Casablancas and introspective lyrics exploring how people evade consequences for wrongdoing. Rather than a band chasing relevance through repetition, the track demonstrates musicians in their late forties adapting their craft naturally over a quarter-century, with particularly barbed and politically frustrated vocal work addressing the ills Casablancas feels powerless to challenge.