Room on Fire

Two years ago the Strokes were roundly praised for saving rock’n’roll from Backstreet hell with their debut album, Is This It. We don’t know about all that noise, but we have been rubbing ourselves raw awaiting their follow-up. Now it’s here, and we’re happy to report that Room on Fire continues to deliver the rock. Although this will no doubt also continue to fuel the massive hype machine, we’re willing to cut these guys some more slack, even if they’re rich kids slumming it. Ditching radio-friendly toe-tappers like “Last Nite” and replacing them with meticulous compositions loaded with guitar interludes sounds like concept-album territory, but it actually pays off. Whether it’s the creepy Echo and the Bunnymen–esque “Reptilia,” the bouncy keyboard-driven “12:51,” or “Under Control,” which is the band’s first stab at a love ballad (surprisingly, Julian Casablancas proves no slouch as a crooner), there’s plenty to keep you popping this disc in again and again. Do your small part to keep rock breathing a little while longer.