#29 - Phil

The Strokes

Room on Fire

2003

The easiest bands to rip apart are those whose songs are simple and straightforward. Enter The Strokes. Their arrangements are simple, their lyrics are simple – even the video for their debut single “Last Nite” was simple. Yet despite this, they began their career with as much critical acclaim to back them as any band this decade. Their debut album Is This It? was one of the most praised albums of 2001; besides “Last Nite,” the record featured career-highlight singles such as “Someday” and “Hard to Explain.” For me personally, the album felt very inconsistent. For every stellar song the record possessed, there seemed to be one to match it that just filled space. It did not feel cohesive at all – which is ironic since most Strokes songs sound fairly similar.

The same cannot be said of their sophomore effort Room on Fire. While still staying true to their simple arrangements, The Strokes managed to write a record with a much brighter and welcoming feel. And occasionally they even do experiment with some out-of-the-box arrangements such as their brilliant single “Reptilia” that features gradual-building verses followed by a complete release of every instrument but a simple guitar line leading into the chorus. Ok, so I can’t even describe how The Strokes are being experimental without using the word “simple” in the sentence. It doesn’t matter; The Strokes know where their strengths lie and they consistently execute them better than most experimental groups ever can. Room on Fire is not a guilty pleasure – it’s a record that over time rises above its tablatures and becomes something purely magical. -P.W.

So, I added Room on Fire to a list of what I described as bland indie rock albums in my Yo La Tengo review. That’s not to say that I don’t like them. They are a solid band and they are great at what they do. In fact, this was the very first album that got me to listen to other indie rock records. Catchy songs like “12:51” and “Reptilia” really got me hooked. Around this time there was a lot of hype around this band as if they’d be something huge. Unfortunately, in my opinion, they haven’t withstood the test of time. It was great revisiting this record as it was packed with nostalgia and is a good album in its own right. - Ryan

After being the colossal "it" band with their debut, the Strokes had the unenviable task of pleasing all of those old fans as well as dodging the cynical hipster backlash. Two years after "Is This It", the Strokes unveiled another album of slickly produced new-wavey New York pop. Lookin' back it's easy to get nostalgic for this record as their third outing had nothing on all these tunes. - Steve