"[16] Stylus Magazine gave it a B− and called it "the first pretty good album of the year. The guy has an uncanny ear for the did-he-say-that? First Impressions of Earth is different; it’s ambitious, messy, nearly as long as the first two records combined. But as maturity moves go, First Impressions proves what the Strokes set out to prove: They’re a serious band of dedicated craftsmen, a band that is here to stay. A handful of these modifications are welcome as a change of pace, and at times make First Impressions sound prickly and confident. 4.2 out of 5 stars 962. © Copyright 2020 Rolling Stone, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. "[17] Tiny Mix Tapes also gave the album a score of three-and-a-half stars out of five and said, "There is indeed more good than bad. Guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. get to show off, while drummer Fab Moretti provides the forward momentum that makes the Strokes a killer groove band. He achieves that effect with lines like “I love you more than being seventeen.” But man, if you thought he was ridiculous when he was chasing girls, wait till you hear him contemplate mortality in “Ize of the World,” as in “modernize,” “terrorize,” “desensitize,” etc. Casablancas’ voice is still a panty peeler, especially in “Razorblade,” where he wails a melody nicked from Barry Manilow and makes it sound soulful. But the band's failures do, if nothing else, possess a certain schadenfreude, allowing a fascinating glimpse at a band futilely grasping in all directions for something new and meaningful, only to fumble with a half-fragment of unformed idea between its desperate fingers. First Impressions may be arguably The Strokes weakest record, but in spite of that, it is a fun listen, for the most part. "[13], Other reviews were positive. “Razorblade” has twin-guitar leads straight from Thin Lizzy, and in “Juicebox,” Nikolai Fraiture demonstrates that he can do a frighteningly accurate simulacrum of Yes bassist Chris Squire circa Fragile, though why anybody would want to demonstrate this remains a mystery. They earned a place in the heart of jaded rock & roll trollops with Is This It, the 2001 debut that shocked the world with the revelation that music should be crass and speedy and flashy and slutty. "Seven billion people got nothing to say," he moans on album closer "Red Light", "Are you coming on to me?" "[22], "Heart in a Cage" was the album's second single, followed by "You Only Live Once". However, so long as they continue to put out quality discs with high replay value, they will remain that rare breed of band where hype did not spoil the goods. Unfortunately, there is also more bad than there should be. "[15] musicOMH gave it a score of three-and-a-half stars out of five and stated, "For the first six songs, the whole thing is as exhilarating as Is This It?, it's in a different way, undoubtedly, but there's the same giddy rush of excitement. "[14] Punknews.org gave it a score of three-and-a-half stars out of five and said, "What exactly it is the Strokes ultimately hope to achieve with their music remains to be seen. However, it has still achieved gold sales in Australia and silver sales in the UK [26]as of 2012. First Impressions of Earth. First Impressions of Earth is the third studio album by American rock band the Strokes. Later on, guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. introduced them to Grammy Award-winning producer David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Sublime), who stepped in to collaborate with Raphael. It’s like he’s challenging Interpol to a poetry slam. In Canada, the album debuted at #3, selling just under 10,000 copies. They go for a heavier, beefier, louder sound, recording with L.A. studio-rock pro David Kahne, the guy who produced the Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian.” There are songs on this album with titles like “Vision of Division” and “Electricityscape.” “Don’t be a coconut/God is trying to talk to you” — this is the Strokes? "[2] Paste also gave it a score of six out of ten and stated, "By the time they're through brandishing quotations, The Strokes don't have much of their own to say here. 0 Comment Report abuse ← Previous page; Next page → Customers also viewed these items. Though early references were made to canonical art-rock legends such as Television and the Velvet Underground-- bands that achieved more popularity after disbanding than at their creative peaks-- the Strokes were superstars by comparison: Their debut sold more than 2 million copies worldwide; the Velvets wouldn't crack Billboard's top 100 albums chart until the release of 1985's posthumous VU. Fortunately, maturity hasn’t slowed the Strokes down. In spite of branching out and sometimes missing the boast, they still are able to rock, and maintain their girlfriend-stealing charm doing it. One out of three ain't bad. $8.99. Drowned in Sound gave it a score of six out of ten and stated, "Cast away the politics and the last twenty minutes and you'll still be left with two or three top tunes to add to your daily playlists, but it was never going to be ground-breaking or innovative.