Darko
12-14-2005, 12:01 AM
I've never been the biggest fan of The Strokes. 'Is This It' was good, but it didn't really sound like The Strokes were really trying to make music of their own, they just wanted to copy the exact sounds of the late 70's indie rock scene. 'Room on Fire' was pretty much more of the same, and it just felt like a rushed continuation instead of an evolution. So I wasn't too excited when I got a copy of 'First Impressions of Earth'. But man, I was pleasantly surprised, because I love this album. It's heavy, it's experimental, it's a little different, it's everything a followup should be.
The best improvement is the production. The sound is much cleaner and sharper, the guitars are louder and more aggresive, and Julian's vocals are no longer hidden behind distorted fuzz. I think they finally realized that just because you're influenced by the late 70's, you don't have to have the same washed out, fuzzy sound quality as them. It's okay to be modern.
'You Only Live Once' is a brilliant opener which showcases the two best things about the album, the guitars and the vocals. 'Razorblade' knowingly sounds like the chorus from Barry Manilow's 'Mandy', but it feels right. 'Vision of Division' is the heaviest song they've ever done, and definetely one of the best. I'm surprised they picked 'Juicebox' over this for a 1st single.
'Ask me Anything' is brilliant in it's weirdness, Julian muttering clever, weird lyrics like 'High Style Indians, We Named Our Summer Camp for You' over a strange computertized beat. 'Killing Lies' and 'Fear of Sleep' are the biggest throwbacks to 70's rock, and they feel like classic Strokes, but with the more modernized sound. '15 Minutes' starts off slow and lazy, but halfway through it throws you for a loop and speeds up and almost becomes a punk song. 'Ize of the World' is best described as 'Hard to Explain' with loud guitars and a little more screaming. And the closer 'Red Light' is brilliant pop, a mix between The Beatles and The Cars.
So as you can tell, I really, really loved this album. I liked it way more than 'Is This It', and a helluva lot more than 'Room on Fire'. I don't know if everyone will share my opinion about it, but frankly, I don't care. I think they've created a masterpiece here.
2006 might be a pretty good year for music.
9.5/10
The best improvement is the production. The sound is much cleaner and sharper, the guitars are louder and more aggresive, and Julian's vocals are no longer hidden behind distorted fuzz. I think they finally realized that just because you're influenced by the late 70's, you don't have to have the same washed out, fuzzy sound quality as them. It's okay to be modern.
'You Only Live Once' is a brilliant opener which showcases the two best things about the album, the guitars and the vocals. 'Razorblade' knowingly sounds like the chorus from Barry Manilow's 'Mandy', but it feels right. 'Vision of Division' is the heaviest song they've ever done, and definetely one of the best. I'm surprised they picked 'Juicebox' over this for a 1st single.
'Ask me Anything' is brilliant in it's weirdness, Julian muttering clever, weird lyrics like 'High Style Indians, We Named Our Summer Camp for You' over a strange computertized beat. 'Killing Lies' and 'Fear of Sleep' are the biggest throwbacks to 70's rock, and they feel like classic Strokes, but with the more modernized sound. '15 Minutes' starts off slow and lazy, but halfway through it throws you for a loop and speeds up and almost becomes a punk song. 'Ize of the World' is best described as 'Hard to Explain' with loud guitars and a little more screaming. And the closer 'Red Light' is brilliant pop, a mix between The Beatles and The Cars.
So as you can tell, I really, really loved this album. I liked it way more than 'Is This It', and a helluva lot more than 'Room on Fire'. I don't know if everyone will share my opinion about it, but frankly, I don't care. I think they've created a masterpiece here.
2006 might be a pretty good year for music.
9.5/10