The Strokes' 'Under Cover Of Darkness' Video (VIDEO)

WATCH: The Strokes Release New 'Under Cover Of Darkness' Video

New York rock and roll demigods The Strokes released the video for their newest single "Under Cover Of Darkness" on their website Tuesday, March 1. For a band that seems to embrace things that are "Hard To Explain," their latest effort runs a little heavy on the allegory, or metaphor, or what you will.

The video, directed by Warren Fu, features the band playing "Under Cover Of Darkness" in some swanky digs, dressed to the nines in banquet attire. Meanwhile lead singer Julian Casablancas busies himself elsewhere, walking around, throwing cards about, emptying chalices of water, wearing clothes that could be described as aggressively casual. The musicians are guided by a mysterious conductor whose real identity is not revealed until the very end. (Could it be Julian??)

The video shows Mr. Casablancas to have really made himself at home in the "blase frontman role," wearing sunglasses in dimly lit rooms, and exercising his devil-may-care attitude quite liberally. Julian's estrangement from the band parallels The Strokes' real-life hiatus to an uncomfortable degree. The reception that Julian receives from his bandmates is cold as ice as he passes them on the stairs singing, "I'll wait for you, will you wait for me too?" Ultimately though, the video illustrates the band's reconciliation and not their self-destruction.

The Strokes' newest album 'Angles' can be expected on March 22. Check out the clip below, and watch for a Nick Valensi guitar solo that had almost everybody thinking it was Albert Hammond, Jr. pulling the strings.

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