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If I try not to compare it to their previous three albums (Jane's Addiction, Nothing's Shocking, and Ritual de lo Habitual), then it's a great album, especially in the current mass market of music.
But it lacks the epic tracks like "Three Days" and "Ted, Just Admit It" that change tempo and pace throughout their 7 to 11 minutes. I read that they were trying to create epic songs without creating long songs, so I applaud their effort. "True Nature", the opener, is a great opening song for this album.
This may be being picky, but my biggest gripe with the album doesn't come from the content on the disc. My gripe is with the album cover! Look at their previous covers...the classic Nothing's Shocking cover with the naked female siamese twins with their hair on fire...the artisitic rendition of a week of love and drugs between three people on the cover of Ritual de lo Habitual. What do we get with Strays? A shot of the four members of the band in some lame pose. C'mon! I know it's been 13 years since they last released an album, but have they become that uninspired?
As for promoting the album...I was just at Lollapalooza this past weekend and sitting in the parking lot in front of the gates was a van painted like the album cover promoting Strays' release. After the show, they were handing out stickers and the likes. Didn't see any of the same for the other bands, many of whom seem to need the promotion more.
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