The Strokes refused to pivot. Room on Fire arrived in 2003 as a deliberate act of defiance against sophomore album expectations, doubling down on the compressed garage rock that made Is This It iconic. Gordon Raphael returned to capture that same lo-fi claustrophobia at Electric Lady Studios, while 12:51 and Reptilia proved the formula still had velocity.

Critics called it safe, fans called it consistent. Either way, Julian Casablancas' distorted drawl over interlocking guitars remained a blueprint for an entire generation of skinny-jeaned revivalists.