The Strokes - First Impressions Of Earth

The Strokes released their third album a few weeks ago, and I've been listening to it ever since. Is it a great album? No, but it is a good album, and a step in the right direction for the band. After releasing their first album, Is This It (an instant classic), fans and critics alike expected them to burn out or implode under the weight of their own talent. Well, either that or drug overdose or two. That album was followed by Room On Fire, which was a great album, but didn't stray too far from the first and could almost be considered the second of a 2 disc album, or a collection of b-sides from the first.

The Strokes could have made a third Is This It, and slowly deteriated into a bad self parody (Rolling Stones anyone?). Instead, they took a chance, branched out, tried some new things. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but there are several good songs, and plenty of moments of pure rockin' out.

All in all, it's a good album and a step in the right direction. I'm enjoying it and can't wait to hear their next release. For those with access, it's up on my Ampache site.