(RCA)
The phrase \saviors of rock 'n' roll"" is obscene. It should never be used again, at least not until John Lennon rises from the grave and puts on a six-hour concert with David Bowie, Lou Reed and the remaining Beatles.
That being said, very few people disliked the debut album from The Strokes, , but many were a little too quick to equate it with the second coming of Christ, and this was wrong. Others, who either had not heard the album until the 12-cylinder, 2,000-horsepower hype machine was rolling at maximum velocity, or were just a little skeptical because so many squares owned it, decided not to like it. This was also wrong.
The record industry has put the music loving masses into a position where if a really good rock record comes out, it obligatorily becomes a religious text. Again, wrong. Did anyone ever hack the Torah? Was the Torah written by hacks? These are rock records, not treatises on morality.
Now, after all that and some careful consideration, it has been decided that The Strokes' sophomore effort, , is outstanding.
The two opening tracks, ""What Ever Happened?"" and ""Reptilia,"" are arguably the best songs the band has ever written, maybe with the exception of ""The Modern Age.""
""What Ever Happened?"" starts off the album by simply dropping a multitude of rock bombs, Cambodia-style. Beginning with a simple 16th-note pattern, it quickly moves into singer Julian Casablancas' vocals which are, as expected, simultaneously intense and aloof. Case in point: ""I want to be forgotten / And I don't want to be reminded.""
""Reptilia"" follows a familiar Strokes formula with a guitar chord progression elevating then juxtaposing the same line going down, as well as bass savant Nikolai Fraiture carrying huge substantive melodic burdens. The lyrics are vague at best, but they point toward change and uncertainty.??
The first single, ""12:51"" is, for all intents and purposes, a single. It is wildly appealing, but after several listens, falls short of being a great song. On it, as well as several other songs on , the band employs a technique in which their lead guitarist Nick Valensi pretends that his guitar is a keyboard, which draws slews of comparisons to The Cars, but in actuality is hacked from a million art-prog bands. It is really a greasy piece of junk food for the ears, though some might describe the band's entire career that way.
is a great album. Some of the cockiness has mellowed and it does not break a lot of new ground. The Strokes do not try to disguise themselves or change or really grow all that much, but it works. Will it work forever? Most likely not. However, good songs are good songs, and this album is full of them.
So, when asked about The Strokes, do not reply ""They're gods."" It would be equally stupid to reply, ""They're a bunch of underground posers."" They are a good band and that is that. So what if they are a bunch of rich kids, no one ever held that against The Rolling Stones.??
