Will the dreaded second album syndrome affect The Strokes? (Room On Fire - The Strokes)

Member Name: RussellsReviews

Product:	Room On Fire - The Strokes
Date:	10/04/09 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some very strong tracks, new influences as well as sticking to their roots.

Disadvantages: A few weaker tracks. Not to everyones taste.

Ah the difficult second album, made even more difficult for the poor Strokes by the huge success and hype generated by ther first album Is This It, which incidentally isn't on Dooyoo! Why is that? Anyway Room On Fire...
Released in 2003 after relentless internation touring The Strokes went back into the studio with Is This It producer Gordon Raphael, presumably hoping for similar results? They tried producer Nigel Goderich at first but results of this never emerged...
Opener, Whatever Happened sees the similar ever distorted sounds of the Strokes. Palm muted guitar and finger clicks (?) open the track before Julian cuts through with his undeniable Lou Reed grit complete with high pass filter and distortion. Lyrics on this one seem equally Strokes-like with seemingly little or no meaning; a great opener and track.
Next track of interest: 12:51, this track has a kind of electronica feel, Nick manages to get some kind of keyboard/synth type sound of his guitar which plays that sort of keyboard electronica riff to accompany Albert's palm mutes, Nikolai's straight on the beat bass and the ever simplistic drums. This single allows Julian to talk/sing his way through on the subject of girls, getting 'fortied' and parties. A nice track with some solid guitar work.
Waah!? The Strokes, a ballad!? What's going on? Not as drastic as The Ramones and Baby, I Love You but The Strokes add a baladesque type track in the form of Under Control. Julian sings about not wanting to do it your way, while Albert and Nick serenely strum unconventional chords. Theres a really beautiful, yet simple, guitar solo in here too. The Strokes have got two of the most inventive guitarist of the indie band genre.
Closing track I Can't Win is another brilliant track, guitar strings are rarely left untouched in the frenzied number. More keyboard style guitar sounds feature as a backdrop before another brilliant guitar solo courtest of Albert Hammond Jr. Julian really is a great singer or talker. He just exudes that sort of relaxed, I don't care attitude just in the way that he sings. I don't think it would be unfair to say he sounds stoned in half of the numbers.
The Strokes are one of my favourite contemporary artists and Room On Fire sees more sterling work on their part. But don't get me wrong Room On Fire is not perfect. There are a few weak tracks in the form of You Talk Way Too Much, Between Love and Hate and Meet Me In the Bathroom, but as albums go thats a pretty low fatality rate and The Strokes whilst not raising the bar any higher from their earlier efforts have produced a second album worth appreciating.

Summary: A good album, not as good as their debut but not bad.