The Strokes Room on Fire

The Strokes: Julian Casablancas (vocals); Nick Valensi, Albert Hammond, Jr. (guitar); Nikolai Fraiture (bass); Fab Moretti (drums). Recorded at TMF Studios, New York, New York. After the hype--and subsequent backlash--over the Strokes' debut album, IS THIS IT, many fans and skeptics alike came to realize that the band's catchy, punk-pillaging rock ditties were, ultimately, very difficult to resist. Their eagerly anticipated follow-up, ROOM ON FIRE, is cut from the same vintage 1970s cloth, but added flourishes keep the album from sounding like a mere redux. "What Ever Happened?" opens ROOM ON FIRE with a chiming, staccato guitar riff and kicks into the immediately identifiable Strokes swagger. However, while listening to Julian Casablancas's melancholy lyrics and the song's carefully crafted changes, it's clear that this is a maturing band that knows its strengths. This notion is further supported by the hard-charging "Reptilia," one of the group's finest tunes to date. And though t