I was initially very under whelmed by '12:51'. It seemed like a decent record and I most certainly didn't dislike it, but I just couldn't help but anticipate that The Strokes' new single would change the world. There's no question that '12:51' doesn't change the world. However, it is very, very, very good.

'12:51' also manages the incredible feat of not sounding so much like any single track on 'Is This It' but somehow sounding like all of them; Albert Hammond Jr's guitar is hypnotic and Julian Casablancas' listless drawl is just as romantic as it was before.

For those of you who will bemoan how derivative this track is you'll be humming along to it before you know it. Welcome back guys, we've missed you.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's As If They'd Never Been Away, 29 Nov 2003

By	"e_coli2001" - See all my reviews

12:51 is the first single to be released from the eagerly anticipated and critically acclaimed "Room On Fire". It is a superbly constructed song that captures everything beautiful about New Yorks finest outfit. The song begins fantastically, with a salivating, teasing introduction, broken in two by Fabs drums. Its no more than 10 seconds in and already we remember why we fell in love with The Strokes, and we want more. In, then, comes Nick Valensi and the most distinguishable guitar lick you'll hear this year; it rips the balls off of 'Seven Nation Army' and laughs in the face of 'In My Place' - that takes some doing. Add to that a Bob Marley influenced Julian Casablancas, and thats how it goes, not much more than two minutes down the line and we're introduced to an old Strokes demo, still fascinated by what we've heard. We're wondering how Rock N Roll could ever taste so good.

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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Single of the year?, 13 Oct 2003

By	"motown_junkie53" - See all my reviews

They have returned. The band behind the masterpiece that was 'Is This It' have come back with a single that once again sets the world on fire (excuse the almost-pun) and it's as if they've never been away.
From the hypnotic opening drum beat, circa 'Hard To Explain', you know this is something special, and when the guitars are added to the mix the effect is astonishing. Julian Casablancas once again laments of a lost love, while Albert Hammond Jr and Nick Valensi ring out the melody. The rhythm section of Nikolai Fraiture and Fab Moretti hold the song together, proving that the simplest approach is often the best. The electronic noise that follows the vocal note for note gives a whole new sound from the band's old singles; they may have been absent from the charts for a while, but this is the sound of a band with renewed confidence and the ability to stretch their musical wings.
The new album 'Room On Fire' is approaching fast, and this isn't even the strongest track. Single of the year? Whyever not.

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5.0 out of 5 stars 12:51 - was the time i was blown away by this song
12:51, the first single from The Strokes follow up to "Is This It", titled "Room on fire" is just what you expect from The Strokes. Read more

Published on 20 Sep 2003 by smifaye

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