The Strokes Album: “Room on Fire”

Let me start off by saying I am a HUGE Strokes fan, so this is way biased. Also, if you hate The Strokes, than this album won't change your opinion, because it's vintage Strokes. The best way to review for me is to break it down, so here it is:

Whatever Happened?: Great opener, the short guitar riff sounds like an instant classic, it has that timeless quality that makes you think it's been around forever. You wonder why somebody didn't come up wit it earlier.

Reptilia: One of the best songs they've ever done. It's a pure energy track that will get you pumped. This is the Definition of rock and roll. 2nd favorite song.

Automatic Stop: The sleeper track. It is really an awesome track. This is the first track we hear Nick's synth-guitar sound, and luckily not the last. See next track.

12:51: The best song on here, and that's saying something. Nick's synth-guitar hook is the catchiest thing you'll ever hear. It stil hasn't left my head, and I'm glad.

You Talk Way Too Much: This sounds the most like something off their first album, and you can't go wrong there. Julian's vocals are really good.

Between Love and Hate: Upon first listen of this album, this track stood out. It doesn't have as much depth than the other songs, but it's catchy and fun. You won't find me skipping over this track. (or any of them for that matter)

Meet Me in the Bathroom: One of my favorite songs. The sad guitar hook is emotional, like a feeling of loneliness. Like I said, it's one of my favorite tracks.

Under Control: This song gets a lot of attention, and there's a reason. It has the best lyrics Julian's ever written. The words to this somewhat ballad reek of failure in a relationship, and simply put is one of the best/saddest songs they've ever done. Wow is all I can say.

The Way it Is: Sounds like nothing else on the album. This is maybe the weakest track, but it is still awesome. This song should not be overlooked or taken lightly, it would be the best song on most other albums out there.

The End Has No End: They pick up where they left off here, what a great song. The hook during the chorus reminds me strongly of Sweet Child O' Mine. It's their third and final single off of the album, and no one can argue with that decision.

I Can't Win: Maybe the other sleeper. This is probably my 3rd favorite song behind "12:51" and "Reptilia". It's also the perfect way to end an incredible album. Everyday I am on the edge of my seat waiting for their third album, and I don't know how much longer I can stand it.

When I heard "Is This It?" for the first time, I knew that The Strokes were something special. What I didn't know, is that their second offering, "Room On Fire," could be so much better. The new CD has all of the great elements of the old one: great lyrics, catchy guitar riffs, and songs that are short, sweet, and get to the point without boring the listener. Each song is around three minutes which is a perfect length, compared to all the other bands these days that drag all of their songs out. Another great thing about the CD, is that all of the instruments sound great together.

Because there are no standouts on this CD, I will rate each individual song in my opinion...

1. What Ever Happened? (10/10)- This song could easily be the best Strokes song of all time. Has great lyrics and a catchy tempo to it. Great song!

Overall, this CD is easily the best release of 2003, and no one should be deprived of hearing it. If you liked "Is This It," then you will love this album. If you've never listened to The Strokes before, please give them a shot. I promise you won't be dissapointed.

My first exposure to The Strokes was on the pathetic wasteland that is hard rock radio. While I normally pay no attention to what is playing (mostly due to the fact that 98% of these bands aren't worth hearing), one band that constantly catches my interest is The Strokes. "Last Nite" and "Someday" were infectious, irresistably snappy tunes with a comfortably straightforward, though hardly simplistic, approach to songwriting, and "Hard To Explain", decidedly one of the best singles of recent memory, reveals a particular nostalgic sound that - in spite of the recent barrage of basic, low-grade cash-cows of "lo-fi" (here I am thinking specifically of Jet) - is still distinctively their own. This meat-and-potatoes approach continues with the excellent Room On Fire, a terse and consistently winning collection of 11 songs spanning 33 minutes. While there is nothing that quite recaptures the genius of "Hard To Explain", the majority of these songs obtain a remarkably high level of quality. While I must admit I have not heard Is This It in its entirety, the overall sound on this one is a wee bit slower and slightly more complex than the aforementioned singles from their debut. The vocals are still distorted and somewhat non-chalant, the guitars alternate between propulsive and jangly, and the bass guitar is laid on nice and thick. It doesn't just sound good, it FEELS just right.

The many criticisms around media circles stating that the Strokes "ouevre" lacks variety from track to track are, in my humble opinion, unfounded. There is a hint of reggae on "Automatic Stop", a strong new-wave sensibility on first single "12:51", some unconventional yet still effective song structure on "Between Love and Hate" and even a ballad in the form of "Under Control", which in my opinion is the strongest track on this disc. Despite these many little touches, all 11 songs are all clearly and distinctively "Strokes". This isn't so much experimentation as it is minor tweaking of their unmistakable sound. The ultimate consequence of this is that despite it's immediate ability to grab you, Room On Fire holds surprisingly well to repeat listens.

Quality-wise, Room On Fire is remarkably consistent. I don't think this band is capable of writing a song that isn't immediately endearing. You can pick any song at random and there's the possibility it will be your favourite. I feel that the uber-catchy "Reptilia", the aforementioned "Automatic Stop" and "Under Control", the more prototypical "Meet Me In The Bathroom" and the closing "I Can't Win" are the strongest tracks, but they don't stand out as they would if the rest of the tunes were filler. I never find myself skipping forward to these tracks.

Overall, this is an especially addictive and enjoyable work, and I suspect that their debut is just as good. I'm not going to put Room On Fire on the same shelf as the true classics any time soon, but if you like what you hear on the radio (and really, what's not to like?), this is as foolproof a purchase as you'll find.

As a guy who listened to a great deal of The Strokes' debut Is This It?, I can safely say that band's new LP Room on Fire marks a natural, but significant growth. Although there is quite a bit of carry over from their last effort (see "The Way It Is", "I Can't Win", "You Talk Way Too Much"), the Strokes reveal more of the talent that had critics in 2001 hailing them as the "saviors of rock."

While drummer Fab Moretti and Nikolai Fraiture remain unspectacular but steady, the rest of the band, especially lead guitarist Nick Valensi and frontman Julian Casablancas only continue to improve. Valensi's ringing, synth-like guitar is a highlight throughout the album. His sound lends a unique feel to tracks such as "Reptilia" and the single "12:51," while Casablancas's effortless croon makes "Under Control" truly special. I firmly believe that this album proves deeper and more rewarding than even their smash debut and I eagerly await their next effort.

I TRIED to like this band, really. The rock critics kept telling me how great they were, so I bought the first album and found it pleasant enough, but spent little time in my CD player. Then the follow-up and more hysterical orgasmic moans from the music press, so I caved in and discovered... ROOM ON FIRE. Yawn. Another reviewer mentioned the vocal distortion device, which left me wondering, "can this guy really sing?" The band sounds mechanical and devoid of passion. The best word I can use is "underwhelming"... not really bad, just competent. Do not buy this album... if you want to steal or burn a copy, it might function okay as background music, but don't believe the hype. This band will not be remembered in ten years, except as a footnote.