Strokes Album Update

The Strokes are writing and rehearsing material for their fourth album at their New York City rehearsal space.

According to an email update from the band, singer Julian Casablancas, guitarists Albert Hammond, Jr. and Nick Valensi, bassist Nikolai Fraiture and drummer Fabrizio Moretti haven't booked any studio time, but will figure that out sometime "in the not-too-distant future." The band have been working on songs for the album since February.

"i wish i could tell you that this DEFINITELY meant we can expect an album release date before the end of 2009, but it's just too soon to speculate on that for sure yet," said the email message. "one way or another.... suffice to say, the work has begun!"

Casablancas recently told Rolling Stone's Smoking Section blog that The Strokes are hard at work and have penned three songs so far.

"I would say it's going great. We have a lot of work to do, though. Some of the new stuff has a '70s vibe, like Thin Lizzy or Elvis Costello. But then some of it is bizarrre music from the future that we're trying to tone down to sound catchy. So we're trapped between the future and the '70s."

The Strokes haven't released an album since 2006's First Impressions Of Earth. They've been busy with various other projects since.

Fraiture released a solo album as Nickel Eye in January. Little Joy, Moretti's side project, put out a self-titled album last year. Hammond released his Yours To Keep solo debut in 2007 and its Como Te Llama? follow-up last year.

Casablancas recently contributed vocals to "Boombox," a track on The Lonely Island's Incredibad debut.