Strokes, The - Room On Fire Strokes, The

The second full-length release from The Strokes was an album that won't cause the stir that its predecessor did, but has a sneaky appeal all its own. Thanks to the quintet's Lower East Side roots, Vevet Underground and Television references abound with these guys, but Boston new wavers the Cars, and in particular their hit-heavy second album, 1979's Candy-O, provide a more suitable point of reference for Room On Fire.

As with Ric Ocasek and company, The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas and his cohorts have a Cars-like knack for sly riffs that creep deeper into one's consciousness with each listen. Not much longer than a half hour from start to finish, this 11-song album is modest in intent and execution, and succeeds quite nicely on its own terms.