The Strokes: First Impressions Of Earth (RCA)
Despite the title, there's nothing spacey about the Strokes' third and most ambitious album to date. Tapping big-time producer David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Sugar Ray), the boys let us know they're ready for the arena-and not just as a warm-up act for the Rolling Stones. First Impressions motors on '70s metal-infused prog rock, and the excellent "Heart In A Cage" showcases Julian Casablancas's best Iggy Pop routine. Though the stylish gents mine the past for inspiration, they don't dwell on it, and that makes all the difference on an album that gets both sentimental ("Ask Me Anything") and rowdy ("Juicebox"). "Fear Of Sleep" fits the new stadium sound nicely into a rambunctious barroom romp. As pint glasses stack up, Casablancas sings, "So I drink some more/I love them all/I drink even more/I hate them more than I did before." Even with a few drinks in you, you'll find this album damned hard to hate.
BUMP THESE: "Heart In A Cage," "Ask Me Anything," "Fear Of Sleep"