New Strokes album is finished, says Julian Casablancas

The Strokes' fourth album is "just finished", according to two members of the band. The as yet untitled record seems on course for a March 2011 release – five years since their last LP, First Impressions of Earth. "JUST finally finished it yesterday," frontman Julian Casablancas wrote on Twitter . "Still not going to be out for a few months – mixing, etc." Bassist Nikolai Fraiture confirmed the news , adding more exclamation marks. "YES! It's true. Strokes IV is DONE!! Let's go party ..." Making the album has not been easy. Although Casablancas dismissed breakup rumours, his solo album gave him a taste for life outside the band . Recording was repeatedly postponed ("Not by me," Casablancas insisted ), and it took time for the splintered band to bond. "[It's] only happening now," Casablancas said in January . "I think we're fulfilling the promise of what we said we were: actually being a unit that really works on everything." As for what the new, "collaborative" Strokes sound like – time will tell. In 2009, Casablancas said he wanted: "Thin Lizzy-style, kung-fu rock with cool 80s melodies ... But there's only a 20% chance it'll end up being that."