The Strokes' third album, "First Impressions of Earth," is an album heavy on concept and light on lyrics.
"Impressions," a follow up to the 2003 album "Room on Fire," imagines someone in outer space discovering Earth for the first time and documenting what they see.
Listening to The Strokes, one can see a band struggling to remain relevant in the face of continual pressure from critics and music snobs.
The lack of a strong single is one of the detrimental elements. In 2001 their debut album "Is This It" had the popular single "Last Nite" and 2003's "Room on Fire" had "12:51."
"Juicebox," their first single to hit the radios off of the new album, is a peculiar choice. With a baseline ripped off of the theme to the TV series "Peter Gunn" and a lyrical delivery reminiscent of System of a Down's Daron Malakian, it is a hard-rocking single that is both unoriginal and unpleasant.
When a band tries to migrate away from the idea of being a singles band, there should be something to compensate for it. Luckily there are stronger tracks to be found. The first track "You Only Live Once" is classic Strokes and is one of the few tracks that retain their original style.
This album represents a shift in sound with varying degrees of success. "On the Other Side" is the obligatory jaded hipster track that has lead singer Julian Casablancas singing clearer and with more confidence then ever.
"Ask Me Anything" is the furthest departure from The Strokes' traditional sound, featuring Casablancas singing over a Mellotron without any other band members.
It seems the tried-and-true Strokes sound would've been the route to go, but The Strokes took the path no one expected. This album has its standout tracks and attempts to capture a new sound, but the content of Casablancas' songs seems to fall flat in the face of lofty promises.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
