First Impressions of Earth

1	You Only Live Once 3:09
2	Juicebox 3:17
3	Heart in a Cage 3:27
4	Razorblade 3:29
5	On the Other Side 4:38
6	Vision of Division 4:20
7	Ask Me Anything 3:12
8	Electricityscape 3:33
9	Killing Lies 3:50
10	Fear of Sleep 4:00
11	15 Minutes 4:34
12	Ize of the World 4:29
13	Evening Sun 3:06
14	Red Light 3:11

Barnes & Noble

Having spent the better part of their career thus far playing it cool, New York's favorite hipster sons set out, on their third album, to show that they can also heat things up. And doggone it if they don't prove to have quite a flair for starting up a fire. The new attitude is put forth most forcefully on "Juicebox," which makes judicious use of a punked-up "Peter Gunn" guitar riff but just as significantly places Julian Casablancas' vocals -- sans distortion, no less -- front and center. Casablancas is the focal point on several tunes, from the glammed-up "Red Light" to the purposefully overreaching ballad "Razorblade" (which borrows a trick or two from the Barry Manilow songbook), and his newly unfuzzed vocals contribute significantly to First Impressions' impact. Some credit also has to go to producer David Kahne (Bangles, Paul McCartney), who opens up the quintet's palette to include Blondie-like new wave cool ("You Only Live Once") and crisp guitarscapes that stop just short of neo-prog ("Heart in a Cage"). Yes, the Strokes are still wrapped up in postmodernism to a degree that sometimes prompts eye-rolling -- "15 Minutes," for example, takes its Warholian self-awareness to the level of self-pity. But overall, First Impressions of Earth shows enough progress (and enough teeth) to cast considerable doubt on that song's central hook, in which Casablancas sings, "Today they'll talk about us and tomorrow they won't care." Look for tongues to wag in Strokes-ville for plenty of tomorrows to come. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Why would a comeback from one of the most-talked about rock acts of the 2000s arrive just after the holidays, when the music industry is usually still hibernating (or hung over)? Optimistically, they could be taking advantage of holiday money and gift certificates burning holes in the pockets of their fan base. Less charitably, they may be trying to avoid tougher competition later in the year -- or worse, just trying to bury the album altogether. With the Strokes and First Impressions of Earth, it's difficult to tell exactly what the motivation was, but by releasing it so early in 2006, it ends up not being just one of the year's first albums, but one of its first disappointments as well. To be fair, First Impressions starts out strong. "You Only Live Once" is everything a fan could want from a Strokes song, with a joyful melody, skipping rhythm, and cheerfully snotty lyrics. "Juicebox," meanwhile, moves from a bassline nicked from the "Peter Gunn Theme" to ragged grunge before landing on a soaring, plaintive chorus. Love it or hate it, the song has a boldness and creativity that is in short supply elsewhere on First Impressions of Earth. On the other hand, the similarly experimental "15 Minutes," a shambling mess of a ballad that eventually ignites into a rocker, is so odd that it ends up being more surprising than disappointing. That honor goes to the songs that sound like the band is just tracing over its own work -- and not especially well. Waiting for memorable hooks and lyrics to emerge from "Heart in a Cage," "Electricityscape," and other half-formed songs is a lot more depressing than the occasional failed experiment. Indeed, depression is a big theme on First Impressions of Earth; while jaded and bruised lyrical territory is nothing new for the Strokes, now they sound boring instead of just bored with everything around them. On "Ask Me Anything," an otherwise pretty ballad, Casablancas repeats "I've got nothing to say" so often that the listener has no choice but to believe him. There are a few bright moments: "Ize of the World" and "Razorblade" channel the bite of the band's older work without rehashing it entirely. At just under an hour long, First Impressions of Earth is nearly the length of the Strokes' first two albums combined. They used to be impeccable editors, both in the length of their songs and which ones ended up on their albums. Is This It was a debut album so solid that it felt like a greatest-hits comp; hints of reggae, soul, and '80s pop flavored Room on Fire without overwhelming it. Here, the Strokes indulge their every whim, and the result is their weakest album yet. It seems that less really was more with them, and now more is simply too much. Heather Phares

New York Times

"First Impressions of Earth" is their most openly impassioned album. As they lower their emotional guard, they redouble their musical ingenuity, then crank up their attack. Jon Pareles