Japanese edition of the New York indie act's eagerly anticipated sophomore album is scheduled to include one bonus track. Details TBA. RCA. 2003.

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So why do so many people hate the Strokes? I think the explanation is simple: they were overhyped. Or if not overhyped, hyped to a degree that many people found objectionable. I only gave their first album a listen after being put off by the absurd overreaction to their debut. Once I gave them a try, however, I was stunned and delighted at what a delightful and exciting band they were.

I liked this second album an awful lot even on first listen, but upon repeated listenings, I have come to like it as much as the first album. It starts off great with some enormously catchy songs in "What Ever Happened?" and "Reptilia," but then does something extraordinary: it gets better! "12:51" and "You Talk Way Too Much" are among the best songs they have ever done, and "Under Control" (with its Television-like guitar lines) and "The End Has No End" later on are just as good. I love the tightness of the band, and the delightful guitar work that adorns each cut. I have never seen the Strokes live, so I don't know who of the two guitarists is responsible for what, but there is some truly superb guitar work on this album, with the guitars often playing their own gorgeous melodies in contrast to the central vocals. No, the guitar work isn't as breathtaking as when Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd would battle it out in Television, but it is still quite superb.

I think it is great to be discriminating. And it is important to resist mere record company hype. But it is also important to give a band its due, and this is a crackerjack band, with great songs and tight musicianship. And now, after a great sophomore effort, I'm definitely looking forward to their third album.

12 of 13 found the following review helpful:

Absolutely superiorSep 08, 2005
By Audiophile LA
It makes me want to rip my hair out when this album is referred to as either a disappointment or not as good as their debut. "Room on Fire" is superior, in every imaginable way possible, to "Is This It?" Here's an overlong, irrefragable, and completely accurate explanation why:

To begin with, one needs to remember the musical landscape into which the Strokes' debut album was released. The years 1999, 2000 and 2001 comprise the absolute nadir for rock music in America in my lifetime, and quite possibly since the invention of rock itself. Too grand of a statement? Feel free to head over to rocklists.com and compare the year-end hit lists of KROQ, the nation's most powerful alternative/modern rock station, from these three years to ANY other year listed. (To save you a trip: the top three songs in 2000 were by Papa Roach, Incubus and Three Doors Down.) If you're older than 22, you'll probably remember these as the years your friends claimed they could no longer listen to the radio. It was into this post-apocalyptic rape-rock landscape that the Strokes' debut album was released. "Is This It?" sounds great on its own; against a backdrop of Limp Bizkit it sounded like manna from heaven. This is the reason the Strokes were the single most hyped indie band since, like, ever. You know how they claim there can never be another Beatles because there's simply too much music out there for any one band to dominate it so thoroughly? A slightly shifted analogy applies to the Strokes: there can never be another band as hyped because music will probably never be that bad again. And why did music get good again? Why are indie bands going platinum and dominating the airwaves? Because the Strokes made it that way. No, not on their own, but their importance in saving rock radio cannot be overstated. They, alongside the White Stripes, comprised the bulk of hope for fans of non-horrible rock only four years ago.

There were two things you could guarantee people would say about the new album when it came out: one was that it would not be considered as good as the debut. You could have bet the farm on that one. Hipsters tend to get embarrassed when anyone agrees with them, and the universal acclaim for "Is This It?" insured that the same people who loved it would over-correct for accidentally enjoying something that everyone else did by immediately turning their back on a band they championed as soon as the opportunity presented itself. The second criticism you knew would be levied against the follow-up was that it was too similar to its predecessor. If "Room on Fire" were free-form jazz produced by Aphex Twin, people would be complaining that the Strokes had simply copied the first album instead of writing a new one.

Let me refute both points. I have listened to "Is This It"? at least 200 times, and the most obvious criticism of the album is that it is divided into good and great songs. No one ever mentioned this when it came out because they were overjoyed to have anything good at all in their CD player and didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but it's true. The great songs are "Is This It?," "The Modern Age," "Someday," "Last Night," "Hard to Explain," "Trying Your Luck," and "New York City Cops." Unfortunately, that last track was excised from the American version in favor of "When It Started," which is simply very good, alongside the remaining four songs. This does not mean "Is This It?" is only a half-good album. It means that "Is This It?" is a half very good, half truly great album. Most masterpiece albums follow similar divisions. This is one of them. It is still a masterpiece.

"Room on Fire" contains nine absolute gems and two songs that are slightly less so. Those songs are "Meet Me in the Bathroom" and "The Way It Is." Like their counterparts on the previous album, they are very good. The other nine songs - no need to type them all out - are all perfect. Any one of them could have functioned as a lead single. There's not much more to say beyond that. It will simply turn into effusive babbling. And as for the criticism of repeating themselves: anyone who says this has not listened to the very album they're criticizing. How can an album that contains "Reptilia" be accused of ripping off "Is This It?" The breadth of styles, complexity of guitar interplay, and quality of hook on any random song on this album outshines that of any on the first. Julian Casablancas once stated that the criterion for a song's admission into the Strokes' playlist was that it had to be better than anything they had previously written. That's exactly what these songs are. The Strokes grew immensely from the first album to the second. Growing isn't copying.

A lot of Amazon reviews end with "If you like ______ , then get _______." I'll do that right now. If you like good songs, get "Room on Fire." You will get an album of exactly that. Better yet, you won't get any bad songs. Even better that than, the good songs aren't the type of good song that only has a "good part" - the whole song itself is the "good part." If it were possible, I would get even less articulate to make this point. Perhaps you can picture me pointing at the album and smiling.

Get "Room on Fire."

12 of 13 found the following review helpful:

One of the best albums ever!Aug 26, 2004
By K. Hoskinson "momswhitehonkeys"
Let me start off by saying I am a HUGE Strokes fan, so this is way biased. Also, if you hate The Strokes, than this album won't change your opinion, because it's vintage Strokes. The best way to review for me is to break it down, so here it is:

Whatever Happened?: Great opener, the short guitar riff sounds like an instant classic, it has that timeless quality that makes you think it's been around forever. You wonder why somebody didn't come up wit it earlier.

Reptilia: One of the best songs they've ever done. It's a pure energy track that will get you pumped. This is the Definition of rock and roll. 2nd favorite song.

Automatic Stop: The sleeper track. It is really an awesome track. This is the first track we hear Nick's synth-guitar sound, and luckily not the last. See next track.

12:51: The best song on here, and that's saying something. Nick's synth-guitar hook is the catchiest thing you'll ever hear. It stil hasn't left my head, and I'm glad.

You Talk Way Too Much: This sounds the most like something off their first album, and you can't go wrong there. Julian's vocals are really good.

Between Love and Hate: Upon first listen of this album, this track stood out. It doesn't have as much depth than the other songs, but it's catchy and fun. You won't find me skipping over this track. (or any of them for that matter)

Meet Me in the Bathroom: One of my favorite songs. The sad guitar hook is emotional, like a feeling of loneliness. Like I said, it's one of my favorite tracks.

Under Control: This song gets a lot of attention, and there's a reason. It has the best lyrics Julian's ever written. The words to this somewhat ballad reek of failure in a relationship, and simply put is one of the best/saddest songs they've ever done. Wow is all I can say.

The Way it Is: Sounds like nothing else on the album. This is maybe the weakest track, but it is still awesome. This song should not be overlooked or taken lightly, it would be the best song on most other albums out there.

The End Has No End: They pick up where they left off here, what a great song. The hook during the chorus reminds me strongly of Sweet Child O' Mine. It's their third and final single off of the album, and no one can argue with that decision.

I Can't Win: Maybe the other sleeper. This is probably my 3rd favorite song behind "12:51" and "Reptilia". It's also the perfect way to end an incredible album. Everyday I am on the edge of my seat waiting for their third album, and I don't know how much longer I can stand it.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:

Just as good as IS THIS IT and better than FIRST IMPRESSIONSJul 23, 2006
By Roxanne Jorgensen "Not actually r. jorgensen"
I'm not going to tell you how much I loved the song Reptilia because a lot of people have already done that, even know it's a great song. I have had this CD for a long time, infact this was my first Strokes CD. Now that I have listened to FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF EARTH and IS THIS IT a whole bunch, I find myself going back and listening to this one the most even know I own all three.

I absolutely love the part in Between Love & Hate when "Never needed anybody" is sung along with catchy yet mellow twang guitar follow through.
12:51 is one of the most styled songs on this CD. I wish the strokes would go back to writing a couple more songs that sound more similar to 12:51.
This CD makes me look forward to the next Strokes album more than any of the others.

15 of 18 found the following review helpful:

ROOM ON FIRE PROVES THE STROKES ARE ON FIRE!Oct 29, 2003
By Andyman90
When I heard "Is This It?" for the first time, I knew that The Strokes were something special. What I didn't know, is that their second offering, "Room On Fire," could be so much better. The new CD has all of the great elements of the old one: great lyrics, catchy guitar riffs, and songs that are short, sweet, and get to the point without boring the listener. Each song is around three minutes which is a perfect length, compared to all the other bands these days that drag all of their songs out. Another great thing about the CD, is that all of the instruments sound great together.

Because there are no standouts on this CD, I will rate each individual song in my opinion...

1. What Ever Happened? (10/10)- This song could easily be the best Strokes song of all time. Has great lyrics and a catchy tempo to it. Great song!
2. Reptilia (8.5/10)- Good song, but gets a little repetative towards the end. Still better than most songs out there right now.
3. Automatic Stop (9.5/10)- Catchiest lyrics on the whole CD. Guitars have a reggae feel to them.
4. 12:51 (7/10)- This song is the first single off of the CD and is easily the worst song. Very boring and repetative.
5. You talk way too much (8.5/10)- The lyrics are repetative throughout the whole song, but a strong chorus and a great solo make this song a winner.
6. Between Love and Hate (8/10)- This song used to be called "Ze Newie" when The Strokes were touring, but they changed the name for the album. They also changed a lot of the lyrics as well as the pace of the song. I preferred the live version.
7. Meet Me in the Bathroom (10/10)- This was the other song that the Strokes performed quite often on tour last year, and is one of their best songs. Great guitar and great lyrics by Julian. I also love the synthetic drums. If you liked the track "Hard to Explain" on the old album, you'll love this song.
8. Under Control (7.5/10)- This was The Strokes attempt at a ballad, but in my opinion they failed. Stick to what you know guys.
9. The Way It Is (9/10)- This song is the most radio friendly song next to "12:51," and will probably be the next single. It's faster paced than the rest of the songs and has great distorted vocals by Mr. Casablancas.
10. The End Has No End (10/10)- This song is simply amazing! It would crush the rest of the CD if it weren't for "What Ever Happened." Best chorus on the CD and easily the best guitar on the CD.
11. I Can't Win (9/10)- Great way to end the CD. Lyrics are amusing and creative, and the instruments sound great together. A final approval stamp on the rest of the CD.

Overall, this CD is easily the best release of 2003, and no one should be deprived of hearing it. If you liked "Is This It," then you will love this album. If you've never listened to The Strokes before, please give them a shot. I promise you won't be dissapointed.

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