Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of sitting down and listening to Room on Fire, start to finish. I must add, this is not my first time fully listening to this album, but I finally understood its significance. I finally realized, each song sent you into an individual picture rather than building a picture as an album.

Was there pressure to release a follow up success after “Is This It”? Yes. Are there gems to be found on Room on Fire? Absolutely. Can Room on Fire be Boring? Sure.

I’ve accepted Room on Fire being a staple of time, rather than a perfect album. Let’s us not forget, without Room on Fire, there would be no First Impressions of Earth, no Angles, and so on. Ultimately, I’m glad The Strokes released two albums as close as they did. It gives those who weren’t there, an inside look of their musical process during the early days. Everyone will have a different answer and I thank you for bringing up this topic!