The Strokes claimed in the liner notes of their 2003 sophomore release, Room on Fire, what you heard on the album was their sound and it wasn’t about to change.
Fast forward to early 2006 and you’ll find The Strokes weren’t so truthful. On their latest album, First Impressions of Earth, the band’s sound has changed subtly and for the worse.
For whatever reason Earth gets rid of a significant amount of hooks and catchy riffs which were really the only things making the band worthwhile in the first place. To their credit, it still sounds like a Strokes album except without the fun, leaving nothing but boredom and repetition.