First Impressions Of Earth

Description

Pioneers of the rock revival with the excellent "Is This It," the five New Yorkers, always cool, are back. But times have changed: in 2005, one in two bands sounds like the Strokes and owes something to the Velvet Underground. This is why the quintet has decided to evolve. In this third album produced by David Kahne, singer Julian Casablancas has notably chosen to hide his voice less under tons of effects, making his songs even more effective. Comfortable in lower tones ("Heart In A Cage"), he does not hesitate to bare his soul in the lyrics ("Juicebox," "On The Other Side") and, energized by such boldness, the band shines ("You Only Live Once," "Razorblade"). Resolutely more new wave (in the good sense of the term) than the competition, the Strokes display a nearly unique freshness and restore the nobility of power pop (halfway between Blondie and Interpol), a genre that others dismiss outright for lack of mastery.