Don't we all have our exception-to-the-rule moments when it comes to music? Though I never was a fan of The Strokes -- in fact, many of their songs seemed to take pleasure in gnawing on my very last nerve -- there was always something cool about "12:51". Who can resist that circus-y sound with those clap-along sounds? Okay, don't answer that.

Yes, yes, Julian Casablancas has a voice that is more likely to lull you to sleep than to astonish you with its, say, beauty. That type of voice seems to have become a staple for a certain crop of "The" bands (ever notice that?). Whatever the case, I'll always remember where I got this CD single, because it was my only trip to the Virgin Megastore. Cool place, right? So, cool CD single, right? RIGHT?!?!

Julian Casablancas - vocals
Nick Valensi - guitar
Albert Hammond Jr. - guitar
Nikolai Fraiture - bass
Fabrizio Moretti - drums

Moretti -- who will always be better known to the outside world for dating Drew Barrymore than for any of his drumming talents, or possible lack thereof -- kicks "12:51" off, with guitarists Valensi and Hammond Jr. soon joining in. Fun, electronic-sounding song, you think. Yeah, it's definitely the type that has that tendency to get stuck in your head for many painful hours. Casablancas surely doesn't sound like he's having fun though. Err, well, he always sounds that way. His monotonous vocals clutter the song's duration of a mere 2 1/2 minutes. "We'll go out and get 40's / f*ck goin' to that party," he lazily drawls. Catchy, sure. Excellent? Not by any means, and it certainly tends to overstay its welcome if you listen to it too many times.

Up next is, uh, apparently an extremely unpolished outtake of "The Way It Is". One minute and eighteen seconds of distorted, awful mess if you ask me. Does Casablances vary his vocal style? Don't get your hopes up. The same bland, obscenely drunk sounding tone is present here as well. What, you were surprised? The lyrics are pathetic, as is the entire sound of this "song" that I'd be more likely to call a mere "interlude". "It's not your fault / that's the way it is! / I'm sick of you, that's the way it is and will always be," he insists. Remind this guy to never take up public speaking; he'd put even the most vivacious, lively people to sleep in a heartbeat.

If you're looking for a quick diversion from what you always listen to, don't get too ready to kick back and relax. This single contains two extremely short-lived tracks, "12:51" and a rough demo version of "The Way It Is". The two not-even-too-impressive songs combined -- are you ready for this? -- clock in at only 3:48. Not worth it, factoring in that the lyrics suck, The Strokes are horribly overrated and can get downright annoying after too long, and if you blink, you'll miss this whole CD single. Not that it was something too incredible to listen to, but come on.

Just for the record -- in case this sounds...appealing?... to you -- "12:51" and a 'real' version of "The Way It Is" both appear on The Strokes' sophomore album Room on Fire. Oh, and don't take that as a recommendation, unless you're up for an entire album of that bored slur of a voice that Casablancas seems to love.





Recommended: No