The Strokes’ first two albums were 100 percent fresh-squeezed rock n’ roll, not from concentrate, with extra pulp. On “Juicebox,” the first single off the band’s forthcoming LP First Impressions of Earth, new producer David Khane has heavily pasteurized The Strokes’ sound. In doing so, he killed a portion of its raw wholesomeness.
This time around, some ascorbic acid has been thrown into the mix – in the form of a double tracked vocal in the verse and specks of reverb throughout the song. There’s also a trace of calcium citrate present in the shimmering, surf-guitar, “Hash Pipe”-sounding intro.
The Strokes’ new album will not be a sequel to 2003’s Room On Fire. The band built its own studio in New York City before recording sessions began, which allowed them to take their time and give the album what singer Julian Casablancas calls a “more professional” sound.
This explains why “Juicebox” has five separate sections. While it isn’t instantly catchy like “12:51” or “Last Nite,” it is more intricate. And the raspy, “Why don’t you come over heeeeeere/We’ve got a city to love!” shout of a chorus is delivered with such genuine zeal that it is impossible not to recommend “Juicebox” as a reasonably nutritious serving of rock n’ roll.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
