First Impressions of 2006

Play it: The Strokes First Impressions of Earth

There's a lot to be excited about, music-wise, with great music releases on the horizon for early 2006. The Strokes' third album released today, however, is a bit of a let-down.

Releasing an album the first Tuesday after the new year is akin to Nick and Jessica announcing their divorce the night before Thanksgiving... a hope to catch the discerning public (ie., the hype machine) unawares. Thus, with expectations amply lowered, it's with great dismay that it's still a bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of highlights on First Impressions of Earth, but considering there are 14 tracks, it's not enough to make up for the lowlights. I give the Velvet Underground proteges credit for attempting to try new things, but a lot of it just falls flat, under a weight of weariness bordering on... well... just plain boredom.

If you edit this album down from the nearly 60 minutes to a concise 40 minute slice, I think you have a fine album. Songs like the opening two tracks ("You Only Live Once " and leadoff single "Juice Box,") "Electricityscape," and "15 Minutes" (all of which were leaked awhile ago) make for a fine album , but on the whole, First Impressions feels like it's weighted down with too much filler. Thank goodness for digital downloads, as you can create your own third Strokes album - and I've created my own (Play it, tracklisting in comments.)

tags: playlist, music, the strokes