First Impressions of Earth
RCA, 2006
rating: 3.5/5
reviewer: grigsby


Well, here we are, the third Strokes album. Their sound is no longer "hott," and their stylish good looks will still get them pretty far, but definitely not as far as before. Though they may be taking a lot more criticism than before, I stand before you to proudly proclaim that I sort of, kind of, maybe just a little bit, think that First Impressions of Earth is sort of, kind of, maybe just a little bit, pretty good.

Well, enough feigning subjectivity; I'm going to give you an objective breakdown of the album's contents. Because I'm telling it to you like it is; you can go ahead and think of me as your own private Bill O' Reilly, or because of my wit, Larry the Cable Guy. So here you go:

1. Songs that are good, in a Strokesy way – "You Only Live Once," "Heart in a Cage," "On the Other Side," "Electricityscape," and "Ize of the World."

Did you like their last two albums? Good, then you will like these songs. It's basically their thing that they do, and in some cases better than before.

2. Songs that are good, but in a different way than before – "Juicebox," "15 Minutes," and "Ask Me Anything."

Okay, they are really not that different. "Juicebox" rocks harder than anything prior, but it is balanced by "Ask Me Anything," which rocks softer than anything prior. So, really, if you put them together they add up to two normal Strokes songs. "15 Minutes," then, has way more parts than a normal Strokes song, but none of them really sounds that out of the ordinary.

3. Songs that make you say "mmmehhh" – "Razorblade," "Killing Lies," "Evening Sun," and "Red Light."

Yes, this is much more filler than there should be.

4. Songs that are baffling – "Ize of the World" and "Vision of Division."

You're right, dear reader; this is the second time "Ize of the World" has shown up. You are very astute. This would certainly be my favorite song on the album, but there is just one ridiculously horrible moment where Julian tries to hit some high notes. It is simply painful. "Vision of Division," then, with its virtuoso Middle-Eastern breakdown, is just what this section suggests: baffling. I'm left with a host of questions – "Was that awesome?" "Was that totally out of place?" "Do they want to open for Fantômas?"

5. Song that I really don't like – "Fear of Sleep"

Why? Why can't this chord progression just be resolved? Instead we get what feels like hours of Julian yelling "All-a-lee!!" while those chords just change in a totally displeasing manner. It really bothers me.

Well, there you have it. I hope this has been thorough enough that you don't actually have to listen to the album. Though if you do feel it is necessary, keep in mind that there is indeed more good than bad.  Unfortunately, there is also more bad than there should be. 

1. You Only Live Once
2. Juicebox
3. Heart in a Cage
4. Razorblade
5. On the Other Side
6. Vision of Division
7. Ask Me Anything
8. Electricityscape
9. Killing Lies
10. Fear of Sleep
11. 15 Minutes
12. Ize of the World
13. Evening Sun
14. Red Light

Room On Fire
RCA, 2003
rating: 4.5/5
reviewer: chadwicked


Drew Barrymore. Family Feud. Industry darlings. Nigel Godrich. Model looks. Denim. Hype. Spoiled. Beer bottles. Private school kids. Sophomore slumps. Jim Shearer. Some more hype. There's plenty of reasons to love or hate the Strokes. The band that seemed to appear everywhere you looked two years ago has returned with their follow-up album, Room On Fire.

When a band receives as much press, praise, play, and worship as the Strokes did, it's hard not to cough “sellout” or roll your eyes when they're seen associating with the extravagant side of the business. I'm sure there were many indie kids in tight-fitting jeans that threw a hissy-fit every time Julian, Fab, Nikolai, Albert, and Nick graced Rolling Stone or were featured on Entertainment Tonight. You didn't really expect such strapping young trust-fund children to stay low-key did you? 

Regardless of the Hollywood shenanigans that the Strokes participated in, they continued to play a number of shows and have now delivered to us another great album. Room on Fire isn't a huge progression from Is This It?, but it stands as a more polished version of the style that the Strokes have always employed. The broken mic vocals and furious down-strumming is still here. The pleasing melodies and New York hipster lyrics are still here as well. Julian's content has managed to stay concise and straightforward, the lyrics are nothing groundbreaking but can surely be appreciated within the context of the songs.

“What Ever Happened?” kicks off the album with a relatively unique song arrangement (by this band's standards anyway) and a topic that could either be about their fame or a doomed relationship. “Reptilia” is driven by a thumping bassline and the lead single, “12:51” includes an infectious handclap. “Between Love & Hate” showcases one example of the drum machine drumming the band has mentioned slaving over in the studio. “Meet Me in the Bathroom” is probably a true story, exemplifying why we hate this band in the first place. “Under Control” might be the best track on here. The band ventures out into soul territory with a rare mellowed-out song.

The album ends with a trio of songs that make it even more obvious that the Strokes have managed to crush our hopes for a sucky album. We were so ready to ridicule mercilessly. Maybe next time.

1. What Ever Happened?
2. Reptilia
3. Automatic Stop
4. 12:51
5. You Talk Way Too Much
6. Between Love & Hate
7. Meet Me in the Bathroom
8. Under Control
9. The End Has No End
10. The Way It Is
11. I Can't Win

Is This It?
Rough Trade, 2001
rating: 4.5/5
reviewer: dunc


What a genius piece of deflating melancholy the title track to this album is. Before the rest of the album rattles and rolls in, Is This It? answers the hype. Although, on closer analysis the track sounds like the story of a boy being led home by a girl. His hopes are expressed by Casablancas' question "Is this it?"

It's easy to tell that Oasis have influenced these NYC kids. Definitely Maybe (the title of Oasis' debut) is provocatively indifferent, similar to Is This It? Is it about the disappointment of the highest point of a young man's life or just the end of a relationship?

As well as all the common influences the press have pushed forward, like the Velvets, Television, and the Stooges, there are three that seem to be overlooked. In an early interview, Casablancas said that the band was imagined by him while listening to a Doors tape. He said something about there "being something in the way the instruments sounded, the way they could be differentiated." And tellingly, "New York City Cops," as well as having a raucously defiant strain, there is something of Jim Morrison's lyrical imagery. To compliment this, I would say that another influence must be The Smiths' dense and witty lyrics on many songs, The Modern Age in particular, is very Joy Division-esque in the way the basslines drive the songs, and the vocals mumble along hauntingly.

Another trait in the band that I feel is a possible future direction is the 'psychedelic' aspect of the music. The first clue was the choice of the 'psychedelic gate frame' cover for the LP as stand by for the superior androgynous 'black glove/ass' cover. The second, and maybe more importantly, is the hypnotic elements of most of the songs. Well "Soma" is spiky and resilient, and "Someday" is probably the next anthem off the album. "Alone Together" is one of the heaviest efforts on the album and helps to add weight to this short, but sweet record.

"Trying My Luck" is a track which at first seems awkward, but eventually grows to be one of the more mature tracks on the album. And guess what? Just as the first track is deflating for eager listeners, the last one "Take It or Leave It" is arrogant and cocksure. It also highlights my personal ideal of great lyrics -- I like multiple meanings. For example, this one is about a relationship, but doubles as a message to the press, and then again maybe just a reminder that life is an option.

This sort of album only comes around every ten years. I think The Stokes have given enough of themselves, but most importantly seem to have held back enough to still be themselves.

1. Is This It
2. The Modern Age
3. Soma
4. Barely Legal
5. Someday
6. Alone Together
7. Last Nite
8. Hard to Explain
9. New York City Cops
10. Trying Your Luck
11. Take It or Leave It