Album:

The Strokes - First Impression of Earth

For two albums the Strokes have sounded like the most wonderful hang over. Julian Casablancas' voice hollowed echo of a voice has led to the biggest cult following in new wave rock and roll. The Strokes sound had been based off of a single guitar riff, catchy and smooth. The complexity of their music was hidden in its simplicity. Behind that one basic riff was a series intricate instrumentals that did not catch the listeners attention, but made the songs worth listening too. Unfortunately, with "First Impression of Earth" the Strokes make a stab at generic rock. Casablanca makes an attempt to sound less like he just fell out of bed but he seems to have lost his passion along the way. The basic riff is still there but it is accompanied by two other riffs trying to attract just as much attention. What results is something that sounds painfully like everything else. There are brief glimpses of their former sound. "You only live once" has the up beat of their prior two albums. "Ask Me Anything" also has a genuinely smooth sound. Also making a return is Casablancas’ subtly ferocious lyrics. His social outrage has less to do with the government and more to do with everyone else. Like when he spews things like "20 ways to see the world/20 ways to start a fight" you know he is being serious. In no way is this a bad album, but rock listeners over the years have come to expect something more from The Strokes.