The Strokes - Disc of the day

The Strokes
Room On Fire

(Rough Trade, 2003)

Much underrated and claustrophobic second album from the New York ‘it’ boys.

If 2001’s Is This It was the sound of five posh boys locked in a box trying to meet the expectations of a jonesing fan base and a ravenous media hooked on their three-track debut, The Modern Age, then 2003’s Room On Fire was the sound of the walls of the box closing in. Since they couldn’t hope to match the commercial success of their career-accelerating debut, The Strokes bunkered down right where they were, with the same producer, Gordon Raphael (following an aborted attempt to have Nigel Godrich sprinkle some ‘authenticity’ dust) the same preference for poppy new wave chug and Julian Casablancas’s perpetually adolescent worldview. The difference here is that the songs are simply fantastic. For someone so often accused of indifference (something I always read as self-consciousness - a typically choked male immaturity, rather than the studied disdain of say, Damon Albarn) Casablancas’s pop vision is fully formed: infectious on 12:51 (great handclaps), frustrated on Reptilia and petulant on Between Love & Hate. Best of all is Under Control, anguished and soulful Casablanca sighs: “I don’t want to do it your way/I don’t want to change the world”. Maybe not, but what a shame they made such a great album while no one was looking. Or if looking, then not seeing.

Jenny Bulley

Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 6:00 AM GMT 27/03/2008

Further Listening

Television - Adventure (WEA)

Jesus And Mary Chain - Darklands (Blanco Y Negro)

Beach Boys – Smiley Smile (EMI)

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Click here for House Rules

No es como Is This It , pero este segundo disco me gusto y mucho , pero igual ya estan en la historia de la musica como los salvadores del rock , espero con ansias el 4 disco , seguro que sera muy bueno .

Posted by Meche at 5:02 AM GMT 21/07/2008 Report Abuse

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