By Lisa Flores

As much as people try to avoid it, growth is a natural part of life.

You’ve been growing since before you were born, so you’re taller now and maybe a little smarter, and you’re going to continue to grow until, eventually, you die. The strange thing is, you probably don’t even feel it at the time, although if you did you couldn’t escape it. Nobody can. Nobody, it seems, except for The Strokes.

That’s not to say they haven’t changed. With 14 songs and 55 minutes worth of music, First Impressions of Earth, their third full-length release, is as long as their first two albums combined. Perhaps Julian Casablancas’ newfound sobriety prevents him from passing out before finishing his songs, or maybe the length is a direct result of his recent habit of repeating single words ad nauseam. Either way, there’s certainly more to listen to; that fact, however, isn’t necessarily good, and it most certainly isn’t an indicator of artistic growth.

And yet, First Impressions of Earth is addicting, as expected. The lyrics are catchy and the music is upbeat. But anything impressive or interesting about this album has been done before by The Strokes themselves, and as a result, all that’s left to wonder about is Casablancas’ inevitable relapse.