Review: The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth

Rather than beginning on a dull and unoriginal review of the year that has left us, I thought I'd leave dwelling in the pastfor another blog. For now, it's looking ahead to the new year and onward to exciting new releases. As an inaugural review, I couldn’t go past the refreshing third studio album "First Impressions of Earth" from those New York unfashionable yet fashionable unfashionables... The Strokes.

As much as it pains Elfonzo Von Popintickel to admit it, this is another solid release from the pretencious retro brats, As I like to affectionately call them, the to-die-4 ringtone band, produce a much longer album than before which contains enough of the same with a healthy addition of the new. In obviously clever fashion, "First Impressions of Earth" opens with "You Only Live Once" and "Juicebox", which any Strokes fan who has an internet savvy download pirate for a friend would have already heard, it allows Stroke fans and listener to get off on the right foot... stay in some familiar territory before the Strokes begin to branch out too far. While in this writers opinion, "Juicebox" does have some new territory for The Strokes within it (a.k.s non repetitive non one note bass lines), the songs instancy is likable enough to fool listeners into not feeling to pressed against their musical boundaries... atleast not yet anyway.

Moving on..."Heart in a Cage”" is in many ways, the sedate, mild little sister of an old school power metal song with its repetitive drumming and dominating highly attuned riffs between verses. While an interesting song, once "Razorblade" really kicks in, it is in this writers opinion clear that the first three songs were merely paving the way for 'Razorblade'. Not only a definitive Strokes noise, it lays claim to without doubt the most ringtone infused, Super Mario friendly riff this band has ever produced.

Thankfully for the sake of every critics job future, this album does miss a beat and that is 'Ask me anything', never have these New York glamour poofs made a faux pas as big as this song. It is by far the most distant in approach from any of their previous work and lets hope this is as far as they go. Missing the crucial wank strumming guitars, 'Ask me anything' only implores the listener to ask why the fuck this fecal matter saw the light of day. Oww and don’t skip further into the song, the start doesn’t build to some great climax that makes you reflect on the intro as a master STROKE (iroooony) but rather almost make you want a refund purely because of this song. It's classical almost cello like stylings just make you wish that frontman Julian Casablanca followed the advice of his own lyrics when he sings "I've got nothing to say"... if only we should have been so lucky!

In finishing out the albums, songs like "Fear of Sleep" and "Ize of the World" just do enough to ensure that those choosing to burn this cd off the net like myself or dare I say, BUY IT :-\ are able to be fearful enough of sleep to actually hear the end of the album. Mind you, after hearing "Ask me anything" if you have not already packed your bags to live in the forest only take devandra banhart, discography, then after receiving your bravery medal, you'd know the album recovers well.

In keeping my first entry as short as a European dictator but longer than a pornstars sock draw, Overall the album provides a much more in depth and exploration of The Strokes sound. Longer than any of their previous releases yet surprisingly not a great amount of filler. Where it tricks the listener is that it could be said, the album is only impressive because compared to previous releases from the Strokes, this one has an added dash of unique music that is also interesting beyond the first 2 singles.