In 2001, The Strokes burst out of New York's East Village club scene into a rap-rock and pop-filled world with nary a turntable or choreographed dance routine in sight. Clad in their downtown hipster wardrobe, these five friends from the city somehow managed to stage a musical revolution with their stripped-down, retro-influenced punk rock. Yet despite receiving massive critical acclaim and helping to launch the careers of legions of imitators, the band has still been viewed by some as undeserving of their success. With their short incubation period (the band only formed in 1999) and posh background they've been seen as privileged punks destined to be a flash in the pan. While nothing can replace the years of toiling and underground struggling that the Strokes' lack, with their catchy and complex sophomore release, Room on Fire, the band is poised to further cement their status as rock royalty.
The album features the same intricate instrumentation and granular vocals of The Strokes' debut Is This It?, while building on the monotonous rhythms and languid tone of their previous release with smoother melodies, a more energetic vibe and a tongue-in-cheek attitude, allowing The Strokes to deserve their punk characterization. In short, Fire adds shimmer and infectiousness to Is This It?'s gritty innovation.
Beginning with the opening track, "What Ever Happened?," The Strokes layer their gravelly vocals and hollow guitar riffs with synthesizer-influenced rhythms and precise drum beats. While on some tracks, like the album's lead single, "12:51," The Strokes surrender to the searing, electronic melody, on others like the more protracted cut "Automatic Stop," their wavering guitar riffs meld with Julian Casablancas' languid vocals to create a subtle harmony. Towards the middle of the album, they return to their more stripped-down sound with "You Talk Too Much" and "Between Love and Hate."
Remaining true to their punk rock roots, The Strokes also appropriate various genres, offering a rock-imbued espionage soundtrack on the high-paced "Reptilia" and sounding like a grunge-influenced lounge act on the peacefully defiant "Under Control." Even "Meet Me in the Bathroom" sounds somewhat like a grittier "Mirror in the Bathroom."
Lyrically, Casablancas is still the disaffected hipster he was two years ago. He sings about love, perfecting his my-way-or-the-highway attitude, without showing much emotion in the process--apart from the yearning tone of his vocals. But while Casablancas ruminates on lost love and the inability to communicate as if he's talking about the weather, in some ways this disaffection merely reflects the Strokes' notoriously nonchalant attitude. Despite their professions of humility with respect to their musical ability, they're cooler than you, and they know it. It's this sort of swagger that pervades the self-aware "The End Has No End," a mostly instrumental track apart from its repeated title, and allows Casablancas to end the album singing "Hold on. I'll be right back." After an album of innovative melodies, intricate guitar work from Albert Hammond, Jr. and Casablancas' beguiling vocals, he's got the listener right where he wants him: wanting more. However, the Strokes are calling the shots and that's all there is.... for now.
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