First Impressions of Earth

First Impressions of Earth is The Strokes' third studio album. David Kahne and Gordon Raphael produced the album, released through RCA Records. Interestingly, the album is band’s longest, clocking in at 52 minutes. It is also the first to receive a Parental Advisory Label. Released in 2006, the album is still perhaps the most controversial Strokes record. It introduced a far more aggressive and distorted sound that polarized fans and critics alike.

Three singles bolstered First Impressions. “Juicebox,” the album’s first single, was released earlier than planned due to a leak. The aggressively powerful and harsh song provided a solid base for the album. As their highest charting single, the song was also their first to reach the Billboard Hot 100. The album’s second single, “Heart in a Cage,” also did fairly well. Lastly, the album’s third single and opening song “You Only Live Once” received an impressive response. Its music video has reached over sixty million views, and the song itself was named in Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Songs of 2006.

The album itself garnered mildly positive feedback. Some feedback was strongly negative (“[Their] weakest album yet), while some critics were more favorable (“the first pretty good album of the year”). Rolling Stone settled on a solid 3.5, while Spin was much harsher (5/10 stars). NME, however, gave a strongly positive review (8/10 stars).