The Strokes — First Impressions Of Earth

First Impressions Of Earth is obviously The Strokes' response to the lacklustre performance of (the vastly underrated) Room On Fire. Sure, this LP could afford a three-track cut, but guitar monsters like "Vision Of Division" and "Electricityscape" are more adventurous and dynamic than anything The Strokes have done before. Hell, they even branch out to use a keyboard (!) on the excellent Magnetic Fields-esque "Ask Me Anything." Julian Casablancas successfully strips the distortion off his vocals, Fab Moretti's drumming sounds less robotic, and Nick Valensi is out to prove he's actually a great guitarist. Many people will be tempted to write this record off after one listen, but resist that urge — by the third or fourth spin, you'll be solidly hooked.

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