First Impressions Of Earth

The Strokes have taken to fame with a cheer most politely described as grudging, but not even front-cover adulation and celebrity girlfriends can crack these New Yorkers' mojo. On their third album, First Impressions Of Earth, Casablancas and company turn heel on the bristly, familiar feel of 2003's Room On Fire, and concentrate on evolving their sound.

The album's lead single--the prowling, Cramps-inspired rock'n'roll number "Juicebox"--is something of a red herring. However, songs like the triumphant "You Only Live Once" or "On The Other Side", are born in the crisp, synthetic spirit of the early `80s new wave. Two particular moments stand out: "Heart In A Cage" is a drifting, melancholy proto-punk number in the spirit of Berlin-era Iggy Pop, while "Ask Me Anything" unfurls as something of a solo piece, frontman Julian Casablancas emoting over a restrained backdrop of synth and strings. The album sags a little towards the end (with the building, passionate "Fear Of Sleep" a definite exception), but as a whole, First Impressions Of Earth finds The Strokes fulfilling all that early promise and displaying a slow-evolving longevity that few would have ascribed to them.--Louis Pattison

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