The Strokes, First Impressions of Earth -- Review

Once hailed as the saviours of rock, I get the impression that it's no longer cool to like The Strokes. After their fantastic first album, a lot of critics were disappointed with 2003's Room On Fire. I think many believed The Strokes would switch up their sound, travel in new musical directions, beome "relevant," "significant." Whatever. I contend that, in many ways, Room On Fire is better than Is This It. They took their sound and, instead of changing it, perfected it. But rock critics don't tend to like it when a band does that. They want bands to start messing around with hurdy-gurdies or some shit. The fact is, The Strokes are not Radiohead or the White Stripes. They have their sound and they do their thing with gusto.

Perhaps until now. While First Impressions... isn't a radical departure from their signature sound, they do take baby steps. The irony is that the press will likely (if they haven't already done so) call the album a disappointment, and critisize the group for stepping too far out of their established soundscape.

Is it a disappointment? Is it a triumph? Let's see, shall we?


You Only Live Once
Vintage Strokes. Not the best song they've ever crafted, but it's the old, reliable Strokes that fans have come to dig, doing what they do best. As far as album openers go, this is probably their weakest, but it's still a very decent tune. By the way, what's up with the 2-year breaks between albums? I'm sure they can make songs like this quite effortlessly. They should be releasing an album every year (or more frequently).

Juicebox
This is the first single and video. I first heard it almost two months ago, and upon my initial listen was a little disappointed. But the second time I listened to it I really, really got into it. This is a great song, one of their best, in my opinion. Singer Julian Casablancas has a terrific voice, and he uses it here wonderfully, at times melodic, then screaming, jarringly loud, then serenely subdued. But even when he screams, there's still a note of perfect musicality. I'd put him right up there with guys like Thom Yorke in terms of unorthodox-yet-sublimely-beautiful voices. No singer today sounds quite like Casablancas. He often sounds like he's just woken up, is bored, or maybe hungover, but there's an intangibility behind his voice that makes it great, similar to how Lou Reed is an awful singer in a traditional sense, yet once you hear that voice, you like it instantly. The album's best song, and a slight musical departure for the band that yields a perfect result. Love those propelling guitars.

Heart In A Cage
We're 3-for-3. This song really reminds me of The Passenger by Iggy Pop. Great lyrics. Song's highlight: when Casablancas keeps it simple stupid and chants "left, left, left, left, left, left, left..." Take my word for it, you just have to hear it.

Razorblade
A significantly more upbeat tune in contrast with the last one. Like the album's opener, this is signature Strokes. The guitars during the bridge are probably the greatest part of the song. So far, this is proving to be the best lyrical outing for the group. Not that their lyrics have ever been particularly weak, but the last three tracks have upped the ante considerably.

On The Other Side
The opening tricks the listener into thinking this song is going to be typical Strokes, but, once Casablancas begins singing, it takes on an almost early U2esque quality. Another departure that works well. Casablancas's verses maybe could have been shortened a little, but that's nit-picking.

Vision Of Division
This song starts a little weak, but picks things up with melodic changes, and by the time Casablancas starts screaming "how long must I wait?" it's in full-on experimental mode. This is probably one that will have longtime fans divided. I liked it. That said, it's the album's weakest moment thus far, but still quite solid.

Ask Me Anything
Another slightly experimental track. Synthesizers! This song would suck elephant penis were it not for Casablancas. It sounds almost cinematic, in an idependent, Paul Thomas Anderson kind of way.

Electricityscape
I didn't really care much for this one. Maybe it will grow on me over time...like a malignant tumor!

Killing Lies
Uh oh, I don't like the direction we're taking. That's 2 pretty mediocre songs in a row. This and the last one probably should have ended up as b-sides or something. They're not bad songs, just not particularly good ones, either. I'm going to watch Judge Judy and make an omelet.

Fear Of Sleep
Back in the motherfucking house! It's a good thing, too. If this wasn't a good song, I was going to take a cheap shot and comment on the irony of the song's title. Once Casablancas starts shouting "you're no fun!" I'm hooked (although he had me at "hello"; it's not too late to be making Jerry Maguire jokes, is it?). Anyone else notice that Casablancas shouts a lot on this record?

15 Minutes
My wife offered to make me a tuna salad sandwich for lunch today. Because I love tuna salad, because I love sandwiches, and because I love my wife, I said sure, I'd love a tuna salad sandwich, thanks. So I'm eating this sandwich, and I notice it's kind of sweet. So I call the wife and inquire why my sandwich tastes sweet. "Because I put syrup on it," she tells me. Naturally. What's a tuna salad sandwich without syrup?

Oh, the song? You don't want to know. Let's just say that the sandwich I ate for lunch was better.

Ize Of The World
Remember when Duran Duran started snorting lots of coke and making shitty music? This album has inexplicably become the equivalent of that.

Evening Sun
OK, this is a good song. Not a great song, but after the last couple of tracks I'll take what I can get.

Red Light
Now this is a great song! Too little, too late, though. A shame. This album probably would have worked a lot better as a 7 or 8-song EP (EDIT: I eat those words).

The Verdict: This album is like a bad relationship. It starts out amazingly, everything is new and fresh, you keep thinking to yourself, "this is the one!" then, at about the 6-month mark, you wake up one morning and realize you're lying in bed next to a psychotic harpy, and you keep praying for it to end quickly and painlessly. Mercifully, it does, but the next moment you're back at it again, looking forward to the next girl sure to take your heart and crush it into pulp. And, like a bad relationship, you'll, in retrospect, remember the good more than the bad.

Strokes, remember all the good times we used to have together? Those were the good old days.

4 1/2 out of 5*_*