The Strokes - Room On Fire - 2003
This is the first album I bought digitally on iTunes. I remember it like it was yesterday. Weird. Dunno what that means, if it means anything. Milestones.....
When The Cars first album came out it was such a masterwork of stripped down 3 chord pop rock that on their follow up all they did was repeat the formula with a slew of good songs in the exact same style and idiom. It worked and Candy-O was a smash.
The Strokes followed up Is This It with a collection of songs that were, if possible, catchier and even more accessible. They made it seem easy, dammit.
There's even a guitar solo from Albert Hammond on "Reptilia" that is scores better than his solo on "Last Night". One after another, the songs on Room on Fire are electric, poppy and recognizable but never out live their welcome. The album clocks in at barely over 30 minutes and each moment is a little piece of pop confection. There's no real surprises here, (well, maybe the neo-soul of "Under Control") but that's fine, what we want from The Strokes is just what they give us: Lo-fi NY pop rock.
Grade: A+
ASide: Reptilia, What Ever Happened, 12:51, The End Has No End, I Can't Win
BlindSide: Automatic Stop, Under Control, The Way It Is
Review number 458
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