DumpJack Wrote:
I really enjoyed about half the new album but didn't honestly get thrilled with the other songs. BUT...I got it loaded on the ipod right now (and Loogs, I put Room on Fire on it as well, for another listen) and will post some more thoughts after a better listen.
So I've spun Room on Fire and First Impressions twice in a row, back to back. These two play as companion albums for me, they're qualitatively different than Is This It, in terms of tempo and feel. First off, I've been way too hard on Room on Fire. While I don't enjoy it as much as the debut, it's definitely not as bad as I first made it out to be. It's definitely got further potential for me.The newer album definitely extends further any development that began with Room on Fire. (I realize others have noticed no development at all, but play all three albums in series and you'll notice definite changes). As Dalen has already pointed out, the new album is far 'riffier' than the previous two, like in Heart in A Cage, Ize of the World or Vision of Division. While they don't always break the template (i.e. it still sounds like The Strokes), there are some slight changes, like the slight groove of On the Other Side. Some seem like new types of songs for the band, like Ask me Anything which is pretty spare and mopey, but in a good way. It's a standout track. As is Electricityscape (they've cribbed part of the guitar in here from somewhere but I can't place it). While I don't think I'd necessarily want drive my car sidelong into traffic, Fear of Sleep is quietly dark, with Julian slighlty reminencent of Ig when he croons '....fear of sleep'. His repeated screaming of phrase 'You're no fun' might be just a coincidence (For you Loog, I imagine it must be...). Red Light is a great song to end the album with because if there is any truth to the psychological phenomenon of primacy and recency, you'll remember the best parts of the album at the beginning and the end. Overall, I really enjoy the album after a proper listen. My own critique is the length. My first impression still stands, it would be an even better album if there were more songs clocking in at 2.30 min instead of 4.30 min. But that still doesn't detract, it would be Top 10 for me.
Weird observation: the faint 'whooo-oooos' in the back of 'You Only Live Once' reminded me of a song that plays in Silence of the Lambs when serial killer Jame Gumb is dancing in front of the camera/mirror as a girl with his junk tucked between his legs. Despite this, it's one of my favourite songs on the album.