First Impressions of Earth

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Their prospects dangerously over-inflated by pundits who often hailed their debut as nothing short of rock-messianic, New York City's Strokes got a lesson in cynical rock-press dynamics when their biz-troubled, if similarly toned, '03 follow-up was dutifully dismissed as the proverbial sophomore slump. A lesser band might have been chastened by the experience; this one responds with a third album that positively bristles with energetic challenges. Revolving around a loose concept that allows songwriter/frontman Julian Casablancas to adopt a viewpoint that's as detached as it is world-weary and bemused, it's a record that quickly trades the often precious production conceits of its forebears for a muscular confidence that's notable from the infectious, back-to-the-'80s opener "You Only Live Once" to its perfect bookend "Red Light."That often inviting sonic remodeling may come in part from Bangles/Sublime/Sugar Ray producer David Kahne (who replaces previous collaborator Gordon Raphael on all but a handful of cuts), but the band clearly has expansiveness on its mind, from a running length nearly twice its predecessors to such stylistic excursions as the cinematic, back-to-the-future riffing of the single "Juicebox," the spare, electro-baroque moodiness of "Ask Me Anything," and the dense, surprising prog flirtations of "Electrocityscape." "On the Other Side" finds Casablancas convincingly casting himself as the anti-Bono while crooning "I hate them, I hate them all, I hate myself for hating them" before chiding humanity as "seven billion people who've got nothing to say" on the otherwise upbeat closer, "Red Light." Wrapping such cynicism in more populist musical trappings is no mean feat, and the sheer reach of the Strokes' ambitions here insure they occasionally fall short.

But it's a consistently intriguing effort, one that seems calculated as much to challenge the faithful as expand the band's own considerable horizons. --Jerry McCulley

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 Music_IsMy_BF favorited and reviewed First Impressions of Earth
 
 My favorite song, Vision of Division. A great album all around though.
 
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 Mariana Mendes reviewed First Impressions of Earth
 
 Finalmente .p
 
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 Caio Watanabe reviewed First Impressions of Earth
 
 best album ever
 
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 Amanda Pinheiro q mentira kkkkkkkk vc acha que é o pior deles
 
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 Andrine Cruz reviewed First Impressions of Earth
 
 :D
 
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 Samantha Hernandez liked and reviewed First Impressions of Earth
 
 <33
 
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 Esse Putogringo liked and reviewed First Impressions of Earth
 
 Love this album the most
 
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 Ilse Guardado favorited and reviewed First Impressions of Earth
 
 First Impressions starts off strong with songs like "You Only Live Once", "Juicebox", and "Heart in a Cage" but somewhere between those songs and "Evening Sun" Julian lost it. The songs become so... more
 
 First Impressions starts off strong with songs like "You Only Live Once", "Juicebox", and "Heart in a Cage" but somewhere between those songs and "Evening Sun" Julian lost it. The songs become so mellow and Idk if I'm listening to Interpol or The Strokes. Although the album is great, it could've been better. Starts off strong but leaves me wanting more in the end. Julian don't expect me to be satisfied with songs like "15 Minutes" after "You Only Live Once" that's impossible! It has some of my favorite songs, but I usually skip from "Ask Me Anything" to "Ize of the World." Which may I say has one of the best solos by Mr. Albert Hammond Jr.
 Overall I'd say 4 out of 5 stars, because what some songs lack, the first and last songs make up for.
 
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 Aiden R liked and reviewed First Impressions of Earth
 
 Only reasons I justify liking this album are the first track and the last track, other than that, pretty damn disappointing album.
 
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 Francesco Pontillo liked and reviewed First Impressions of Earth
 
 yeah!
 
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 Cynthia Ruth Nava liked and reviewed First Impressions of Earth
 
 Epic.
 
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Their prospects dangerously over-inflated by pundits who often hailed their debut as nothing short of rock-messianic, New York City's Strokes got a lesson in cynical rock-press dynamics when their biz-troubled, if similarly toned, '03 follow-up was dutifully dismissed as the proverbial sophomore slump. A lesser band might have been chastened by the experience; this one responds with a third album that positively bristles with energetic challenges. Revolving around a loose concept that allows songwriter/frontman Julian Casablancas to adopt a viewpoint that's as detached as it is world-weary and bemused, it's a record that quickly trades the often precious production conceits of its forebears for a muscular confidence that's notable from the infectious, back-to-the-'80s opener "You Only Live Once" to its perfect bookend "Red Light."That often inviting sonic remodeling may come in part from Bangles/Sublime/Sugar Ray producer David Kahne (who replaces previous collaborator Gordon Raphael on all but a handful of cuts), but the band clearly has expansiveness on its mind, from a running length nearly twice its predecessors to such stylistic excursions as the cinematic, back-to-the-future riffing of the single "Juicebox," the spare, electro-baroque moodiness of "Ask Me Anything," and the dense, surprising prog flirtations of "Electrocityscape." "On the Other Side" finds Casablancas convincingly casting himself as the anti-Bono while crooning "I hate them, I hate them all, I hate myself for hating them" before chiding humanity as "seven billion people who've got nothing to say" on the otherwise upbeat closer, "Red Light." Wrapping such cynicism in more populist musical trappings is no mean feat, and the sheer reach of the Strokes' ambitions here insure they occasionally fall short. But it's a consistently intriguing effort, one that seems calculated as much to challenge the faithful as expand the band's own considerable horizons. --Jerry McCulley

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First Impressions of Earth

By The Strokes, 2006

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By The Strokes, 2006

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