Is This It

The bass part coming in on the first track carries this whole album at least an extra 1.5 stars.

Another band I was familiar with but didn't know their name.

I finally listened to the naked hip album... and kept wonder Is This It?

It's a decent album. The two of the better known songs "Someday" and "Last Nite" are the best imo 3.5/4

Excellent

Definitely enjoyed it. Catchy songs.

Like this album. Nice guitar sound

Todos los temas tienen una vibra especial, el bajo es super atrapante, y el disco siempre me alegra. Discazo.

A solid presentation letter. 7/10

This album came out my senior year of high school when I was also working in a major chain record store, so I heard a ton of it and it really takes me to a specific time and place. The album holds up pretty well, aside from the decision to put the same distortion on the vocals on every single track. It serves a purpose on some songs, but on others it just has the effect of making the entire album very same sounding.

Obra prima. Memorável do início ao fim.

1 full listen (+ some casual repeats of a couple of songs). Sounds mostly fluffy to me. Like if The Killers’ Hot Fuss (which I assume was inspired by this/the band) was robbed of its infectous energy. Not sure if the distorted vocals are a feature or a fault but they don’t exactly help its case, in any case. Some decent songs (The Modern Age, Barely Legal) but overall just so monotone—lyrically, vocally, sonically.

The Strokes were the coolest band - there's a reason Alex Turner himself wanted to be one of them. Is This It is so consistent, there's no filler here and it's hard to pick the best track. So I won't, and will just say it's all great

Listened Before? N Surprisingly good. I believe this album contributed to some of the lo fi trend of the early 2000s. Last Nite is a bit overplayed, but I enjoyed the record overall, and it doesn't drag on forever so I may revisit it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Hard to Explain

Slays. One of those records that you wish would keep going and going when it ends. The quintessential indie rock album. Not a weak track to be found. Lots of nostalgia but quality as well.

After years of post grunge and pop punk shyte this album was refreshing. The Atrokes got tired real quick but I’ll always think of this album fondly.

Great album

Simple, enjoyable, great

It's not that great.

My Personal Favorite album from The Strokes. It doesn't have a ton of variation, but The Strokes are some of the best at their particular sound, so they don't really need to vary a ton. Songwriting is on point, just a really enjoyable album.

Good album - don't like the cover though!

What a vibe. Had the Strokes on my radar for a while, but never had the excuse to indulge. 'The Modern Age' and of course: 'Someday' are particular favourites from this album.

It's a fine alternative album, although I think the blown out, distorted vocals are super overdone. I knew it was really hyped up coming in, so the album title is basically how I felt after listening

It's a 3 bordering to a 4 for me. I think it needs time to settle with me before I say I might like it.

Decent alt rock

Eh, all Strokes songs sound so similar. Not my thing.

4.5

It's funny I know Julian Casablancas more by his work in The Voidz than The Strokes. The latter is a somewhat poppier and less daring version of the former. Still great though, there's something je ne sais quoi about his work... Best UK indie album to come out of America

I'm over here storkin' it... and by it I mean. Well, my peanits.

Pretty solid early '00s rock and roll record, considering it was made by a bunch of NYC trust funders.

Solid rock album. Someday and Last Nite are the sure standouts. I remember Last Nite being in my repertoire of printed guitar tabs, it takes me back to my teen years to hear this again.

I get why the British love this. Sounds like their rock. I find it underwhelming and bland. Been 30 minutes of the same vocals and backing to me

That was nothing next please.

I was interested to hear this again to judge if the love for it was pr hype and nostalgia or if it's actually a quality record. I got three runs through and I think it's a little from column a and a little from column b. I think they were very well timed for the zeitgeist, well packaged and undoubtedly cool. But it is quite derivative and has the flavour of posh boys cosplaying as rebels. But on the plus side, there are some excellent tracks on this. The whole album hangs together well and by the third run through I was singing/dancing along. In conclusion this is pop music for people too cool for pop music but it's well done.

They have a very distinct style and thankfully it didn’t get too tired by the end. My favorite was “Last Nite.”

It was fine. Nothing really stood out to me.

Such an important album from my youth. All time classic.

Day 3 of listening to album of the 1001 everyday. It’s really interesting to listen to a bands first album and hear the beginning of what would begin. While it is short it makes up for it for having just so many great songs back to back. I think the lyrical is depth is there however it’s not as prevalent compared to the vocals and music. It’s a great album with its main stand out be the lead singer amazing vocals. Every song has so much raw emotions. However I do feel the lyrics get overshadowed by the great sound. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, I just know the lyrics could be such a bigger focus and makes me to want to listen to more of the strokes. Overall the legacy of the album far outweighs many other albums and it’s great to see a album inspired by The Velvet Underground (which has a huge legacy for inspiring others) end up inspiring others as well.

You want to talk about influential albums? The Downward Spiral definitely changed the industrial metal game for many people. But Is This It in so many ways represents what modern indie rock music has become. Believe it or not, The Strokes do actually make good music. But I was sort of opposed to them for a long time. The album’s reputation is inescapable, and it’s widely regarded as one of the greatest debuts of all time. Personally, I could never get past the first song. I just wasn’t into it. But I’m glad I gave it the chance it deserves. It’s definitely an important album. The band claimed they took a lot of influence from Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground. In a lot of ways, the two groups parallel each other. It is said that everyone who bought that Velvet Underground debut record went home and started a band. I have a feeling the same is very true for this record. I bet you can hear fragments of this in every indie album released in the 21st century post-2001. I mean just look at Car Seat Headrest as an example. The band also claims they took no influence from Television, as they hadn’t even heard them until after this record was released. I find that really hard to believe, but if it’s true, it makes this all the more impressive. That’s basically the equivalent of Talking Heads trying to make a song that sounded as close to Joy Division as possible without ever having heard their music, and creating The Overload. Pretty damn close in both cases. I think where my problems lied initially was with Julian. I’ve never been a fan of vocals that sound like they’ve been recorded through a dollar store microphone. Julian himself is a great singer, don’t get me wrong. But that purposefully lo-fi feeling took some getting used to. It may not even be on purpose either. But once I finally dove deeper and actually heard what this record had to offer, I understand where everyone’s love came from. This is a collection of some of the most undeniably catchy and well written garage rock of all time. And it’s funny to see how far and above this stands with critics over other artists of the same garage rock revival era, like The White Stripes and Arctic Monkeys. The former of which I have equally as much respect for as The Strokes. Rating: 9/10

2 good songs but doesn't grab me as a whole

The schtick of the distorted vocals is a distraction from... nothing else of interest. This is blandness

An undeniable nostalgia 5 for me. It's July 2001, I am weeks away from turning 18 and finishing High School. The Strokes fly into Australia to support You Am I. The album hasn't even dropped yet, but that's basically their setlist in order. News spreads from other states of what awaits us. Four glorious nights in a row at the Newtown Theatre in Sydney quickly become legend, culminating an early album drop months before anywhere else in the world. Something momentous has occurred. We're finally free of our post-grunge and nu-metal shackles. I'd like to think the album holds up without nostalgia goggles, but I honestly can't tell. These 35 odd minutes sounded huge back then, and it always will to me. If not, a bonus point for the iconic non-American artwork perchance?

Seriously?! Good grief!

Wish I enjoyed this sort of music more. It's good, I know it's good, but it hasn't won me over just yet.

Basically the album of my generation. A true classic.

Fine, good tracks, but samey, might grow on me

Still a top 5 album for me

Cute

sexy bass 2000 jugend klassiker

It was good, but I didn’t like the singer guys voice at all.

It’s impossible for me to listen to this without nostalgia. Love this from top to bottom. Not a bad song on the album. Love the grungy fuzziness of it. I know detractors say that it’s derivative. Maybe it is. But I still love it! 5/5

En mi opinión, este es el mejor álbum de rock de los 2000's, y el que inició el revival del garage rock, dando incluso el puntapié inicial al indie sleaze con otros contemporáneos neoyorquinos como Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Sorprendente performance, composición sencilla, pistas pegajosas y una duración de media hora casi sublime. Sumamente recomendable.

Alternative rock. No real good songs.

Awesome album, back-to-front!

This one brought me back to the post 9/11 world. In college being concerned about wars and terrorism - all while the radio was playing butt rock and new metal. Along comes these greasy hipsters from New York to bring rock-n-roll back and suddenly life made a bit of sense again. Listening now the album feels pretty derivative - but it’s easy to forget that it ushered in a new sound and banished Limp Bizkit, Korn and Staind into the dust bin of history.

one of my favorites. And definitely makes me nostalgic for my early 20s

A solid rock album epitomizing the 2000’s

05/12/2024 D̶a̶t̶ ̶a̶s̶s̶ I've only heard their top hits, but after hearing the album, I'm genuinely disappointment at how "hyped-up" The Strokes are. Don't get me wrong, "Is This It" has got some good Brit pop. Some songs are warm and catchy, and "Last Nite" is especially awesome. My complaint though is that majority of "Is This It," excluding the 'famous' songs, follow the same arrangements. The album ends up being monotonous with little diversity.

I remember when everyone in the LES was buzzing about this band. Never got the hype. Honestly, I think you have to be young to be impressed with this. There’s nothing new here. Feels on par with Lenny Kravitz, in terms of authenticity. They listened to their parents’ records and tried to imitate. But this is just pop music. Anyone who says the word “punk” needs to be slapped in the mouth.

classic

The highs were as high as I remember, but I didn't really like the album front-to-back.

Kerri

I don't think I've actually listened to this front to back in a while. What really needs to be said about it? It's a total classic, fire from front to back, truly an era-defining piece of music. I gotta catch these boys live again now that I'm in New York. Will I ever be able to identify each deep cut by name though? Remains to be seen haha, they still blend together for me. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing though.

Incredible album, there isn't a miss on here. 10/10

First time listening to this album in full. I enjoyed it!

This album was my first introduction to my favorite band, The Strokes. For that sentimental value alone it could easily be called my favorite album of all time. But in addition to that, the album earns it. The tracklist remains so cohesive throughout. One of my favorite signature elements of The Strokes is their use of a rhythm guitar and a lead guitar. The two just dance around, I love switching my focus between them. There's often some funky bass too, really a showcase. The drums consistently focus the energy exactly right. Julian's voice sounds so young, it makes me emotional. I cannot overstate the impact of this album on my life. Some songs transport me directly to specific moments in my life. Julian's voice on every song is directly rooted into my soul. I love the grit on the mic, the little riffs he does, the shifts in rhythm from the rest of the band, every song has so much layered within it despite being a 5 person group of all classic instruments. Factoring in that this was the bands first album is really a testament to their talent, they developed a unique sound that many attribute to the revitalization of rock n roll in the early 2000s. I'm so happy that everyone has gotten the chance to listen to the most important album in my life 💛 thank you

A true perfect album. No notes. Easiest 5 of my life. Fav Songs: Literally all of them

Thank you Kerri for the fun facts about this album! 5/5

Like a few songs but listening all at once was too much of the same thing over and over

I mean, its fine? The music just seems super basic, and the distortion filter on the vocals just wasn’t right, it was getting repetitive over the album. IDK I didn’t really “feel” anything while listening to this album.

Good, liked it in the past like it now

Extremely pleasantly surprised, it’s an all around great album

The Strokes esta bien fucking en bomba, solo había escuchado The New Abnormal y Angels y me parecían una banda solida, pero Is This It me parece de alguna forma legendario. Muy buenas canciones y creo que el run the Barely Legal, Someday, Alone, Together, Last Nite y Hard to Explain es sumamente increíble. Muy buen rock. Its a low Ten or a very high 9, no me decido aún. 9.5/10.

This is one of my absolute favorite albums. Front to back just essential indie rock. It’s gritty and heavy with some nice themes and tones throughout. This us definitely a must listen for anyone who enjoys rock.

This is a fine debut album, like a modern garage band with occasional hints of The Velvet Underground. I'd say that on the downside, that the songs all seem fairly similar, with none that stand out to me. But that said, I played this three times and really enjoyed it.

Best song: Last Nite Vibe: high energy loneliness themes: listless frustrated yearning

Not bad

Love the sound on this one.

Never listened to this - great rock. Accessible and real tunes. A treat!

2.5 accent kills be me

Raw. Unfiltered. Great.

I was so excited when this one popped up (although it's not the cover art I'm used to). Every single song on this album is on one or more of my Spotify playlists. The production is crisp, the performances are tight, not a moment out of place on the whole album. As an amateur guitarist, my favorite thing about this album is the way they use the two guitars playing separate but interlocking lines to add complexity to simplistic song structures.

One of THE classic 2000s indie rock albums. Its reputation precedes it and for good reason. A strong start with some of their most iconic work right out the gate.

Primera vez que escucho esta banda y realmente me gustó mucho vale completamente la pena y tiene piezas muy buenas🤌🏽

The dominant record of that time. How did they dig this up.

Ok rock, just not my thing

Good listen. 3/5

It finally clicked.

The Strokes were maybe the drunkest band I have ever seen live. Still totally brought it. I love this album. Great sound, real rama lama attitude, good songs and downtown lyrics. I'd give this a 5 star for "New York City Cops" alone.

Great all around album, loved it

Pretty good album with some catchy tunes. It just doesn't stand out so much from similar bands at the time.

Yes beautiful surprise, I kinda of knew the Struts with "Last Nite", but the entire album is even better than expected for that reason it's a 5/5. From now on this album is part of my rock folder.

Hooky pop rock but I don’t like the lyrics

Satisfying and compact

They defined an entire generation of indie punk rock. This album has some truly catchy riffs and the ambition is monumental. I think the hits really hit and some of the rest is just filler, but groundbreaking nonetheless.

Fine. 3-stars.

It's good but not anywhere near as good as people say. It feels like it's always about to go into another gear but never quite does. High 3 seems fair?

4.5, an extremely good album. High energy and gives me a nostalgic vibe

This is it

Maravilhoso, amei!

I don't know about this one ... I made it through to the last song, Take it or leave it and decided I'd leave it.

Good Vibes Like the Chill but energetic rock

Me ha encantado

no wonder why the killers almost didn’t make music because of this record

Just bangers on end

works for me :)

Easy 5*. Heard this album so many times I can't actually remember when I first heard it. I love every track on this and the list of bands that I like that wouldn't have existed without this album is endless. Fav tracks: Someday, Hard to Explain, Is This It

I love the Strokes. However, this album suffers a bit from every song sounding a little bit the same, so I have to dock a point here. But overall an incredible album.

Heard it before I like it

I know there are people in my demographic who LIVE for this album. But I wasn’t mindful of, or paying attention to this group when it came out. I had my head stuck firmly in the neon hair rocking 80s instead. There’s stuff here I like for sure, but it doesn’t have the small nostalgic chokehold on me that it does for my peers. The raspy punky pleading vocals are good. The music starts to feel a bit samey the longer it goes on. But it’s a short record and there’s merit here. I enjoyed this one. Better late than never I suppose?

A top 5 album of all time for me so one that I've listened to more times than I could count. Gives you the opportunity to listen in a different way when thinking about how to review it. Some things I noticed for the first time or felt worth mentioning, in no particular order: I always assumed that Someday was my favourite tune but today I realised that it could actually be Alone, Together. That lead break is something else. Someday still being up there with best song ever recorded. So many powerfully simple lines - And now my fears, they come to me in threes; The way every track seems to open up at some point, welcomes you in then wrap you back up into it (The Modern Age as a prime example). The vocal effects maintain a sense that there's always two or three degrees seperation between him, the subject matter and me as the audience. But then at the same time it all seems deeply personal. The double outro of Hard to Explain The Pixies energy of Is This It I'd never paid any attention to the bass line on Last Nite ABH's ability to insert and assert himself on almost every track with out you even noticing. Something about this being the strongest debut album ever made next to Arctic Monkeys but also recognising how much Arctic Monkeys owe to this album. Or put another way, how much I owe to The Strokes for paving the way of many of my all time favourite bands and genres.

Well. Another album of rock and roll that is just the same song over and over, same vocal effect, same guitar tones, same beat, chords, and "melodies." I get that this is basically an album recorded live, but then make a live album. When you have the time and space available to you in a studio, just setting everything up the same way and pressing "record" seems like a waste. Is this is the most important Strokes album? I hope not, for their sake. The most interesting bits? The bass line in the verse in Is This It? is fantastic and had me hoping for more, but alas the rest of the album is just dododododadadada, eight to the bar with a few variations here and there The feedback at the beginning of New York City Cops was probably the most interesting thing on the album. Lo and behold it even had a guitar solo for a second there. So does Take It Or Leave It, but I generally consider a guitar solo something exceeding five different notes. Maybe a phrase or two. And speaking of strokes, they should have called this "The Stroke" because, with the exception of the syncopated rhythm on The Modern Age, it's all just the same driving downstroke. Am I generalizing? Yes. But I'm not going to spend a full 35 minutes trying to find tiny pieces of interesting minutae on an album of sameness. It's all white noise after a while. As they say in "Take It Or Leave It," enough is enough.

I have liked this record for a long time. I initially got into it a few years after it was released, thanks to my sister who had a copy laying around that became stapled to my discman (these were the days). To me it's music that is really evocative of a specific time and place - the early 2000 and the whole rock revival after grunge petered out into endless not so great things and after nu-metal took over (in the US) and brit pop started to fade. It seemed that at that time there was much to listen to that had this kind of grit and amateurishness that band like the Strokes, the Libertines or the White Stripes brought over. That was a breath of fresh air for the fan that I was at the time. This is not particularly original, but it works. It is, in some ways, manufactured too: there is an affected boredom and laziness to Casablancas's vocals and the whole thing seems very intentionally produced to sound somewhat sloppy. But it works. It's got a pretty great bouncy energy about it. I love the bouncy bass, the guitars are pretty sharp (as in cutting and edgy). It manages to sound quite primitive and simple while staying sophisticated. There is also a sense of looming disenchantment and melancholy that is never quite far, like in Alone, Together, or Last Nite that will become more prevalent in their later records and make them, in my view, more interesting. This record also got me back to listen to the sources of this sound, back to being fascinated by the mix of grit and artsy of 70s NY punk-rock. Come to think of it, this was kind of a bridge towards these ancestors. And it brings quite a lot of charm to this process even as you suspect how manufactured the tears in these tight fitting jeans are.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm Dit is voor mij echt een soort prototype standaard rock. Met andere woorden, hier gebeurt weinig spannends, de muziek is ok I guess, de teksten springen er niet uit en elk nummer klinkt vrijwel hetzelfde. Is er dan niets waar ik echt blij van word bij dit album? Ohnee hoor! Het duurt namelijk maar 36 minuten in totaal! Daarnaast irriteer ik me er ook niet echt aan, maar je kan mij echt niet vertellen waar het ene nummer begint of ophoudt of dat 1 nummer echt zo bijzonder is. Weet je wat het is? Different strokes for different folks, I guess... FAVO: Last Nite

One of my favorites. Someday makes me tear up.

The Modern Age and the last two songs were surprises for me. The songs Nowadays and Last Nite are classics. Mwah, chef’s kiss. Superrrr impressive for a debut album

Rocking album

I feel like ive heard this album before on this list. I get that a lot of people like it, but it is just so... bland. Like so many rock albums, it is loud, abrasive and at times politically engaged. There's nothing unique and exciting about it. I'm not saying I hated it (and it was mercifully short), it's just that this scene completely passed me by in 2001 and I do not have the fuzzy nostalgic feelings that could make it a classic in my eyes.

reminds me of college

Solid

W sumie to dobre. Lubię taki indie rock, szczególnie w starym wykonaniu. Żywe i skoczne brzmienie 4/5

A good album. They're not my favourite band, owing to a couple of my personal dislikes around the musical style. But it's good.

One of the more influential albums of my lifetime. This one changed everything for me.

Perfect rock album.

So so

Not anything groundbreaking, but some good stuff. I particularly liked Alone, Together

One of the greatest debut albums.

I can never explain why this album is so impactful to me. I’ve heard it on good days and bad days and it hits hard either way. A lot of its sound just feels so iconic. The first time I heard Is This It? I was told it sounded like it was being sung to someone through an apartment buzzer. That is fitting, for whatever reason, and it strips down an otherwise bold, varied, and chaotic album. It’s absolutely one of my all time favorites.

more of a 3 at parts, but marking up in honor of Mikey

These guys might not have saved rock ‘n’ roll like the pundits thought they would but they pulled it off in my heart. Not a perfect album but a really important one for me as a teenager that cemented my love for guitar rock. Still can sing every song. Best song: Hard to Explain

Strokes at their best!

Although I am quite familiar with the band and know a few albums I had never listened to this one from the beginning to the end. And this is also a nice album with several great songs.

A pretty solid album of 2000s era guitar rock.

Ah, the Nevermind of the 21st century! Here’s one of the best and most important debuts, maybe of all time, but certainly that I’ve ever heard. The pioneers of the garage rock revival and indie scene come out swinging with nothing but bangers. And the recipe would go on to be used in nearly every successful rock record for the next 20 years.

Motherfucker, this is IT!

I tried to approach this objectively, because I can't stand people who never shut up about how great the Strokes are. A refreshingly short album. I appreciate how much the bass stands out in the mix. Tight, poppy rock music. A decade earlier, Nirvana changed the face of rock music and the Strokes did something similar for the 2000's. Definitely a beginning of an era, it's just not my style. I like my rock music a little less polished and with a bit more edge. It's not my favorite, but I can appreciate it's place in music history.

great album... but not the masterpiece everybody is talking about.

Obv, i love this record

Not only does every song sound basically the same, but it sounds like a dozen other bands at the same time. I don't know who was copying who and I don't care, it's not interesting.

A yes, a watershed rock album for our times. There are some massive hooks and riffs in here. I was skeptical going in, maybe because of all the hype around this debut album, but I warmed up to it as it progressed. The filter on the vocals gets old. Highlights: The Modern Age, Someday, Alone Together, Last Nite, Hard to Explain, Take It Or Leave It

This album is driving down pch with Leila in high school. Loved the whole thing. This is it, New York City cops, hard to explain. There’s not one song I don’t like on this album.

I loved this album when I was younger. Doesn't do it for me anymore. 2.5/5

Loved this album when i first discovered it Felt it had a great mix of rock licks and a punk style on a slower tempo I don’t find that it aged as well, but still nostalgic to hear 3,5

4.5

I love this friggin album. Every song could have been a single. What a debut! The distortion on the guitars and vocals, the driving rhythm - so good. Not sure how they mixed the drums, but to me it’s absolutely perfect. Feel good dance music. 4.8

Not into it. Seems like the distortion on the vocal is doing the heavy lifting. Probably better in context. 2.7

okay album not reat, but not bad either

Good album. Good band. I don’t really have any other notes for this. It’s just a good album, simple as that.

Kinda vibes. Not my personal taste (how does one listen to lyrics?) but I can see how this is a classic!

Meh.

I have never really listened to them, liked it!

Fun, but wouldn’t own it.

Always need generic modern rock

It was okay, I guess.

I remember where I was hearing "Last Nite" for the first time. Truly incredible album, I can't top what's already been said.

RATING SYSTEM: 1*: Horrible 2*: Bad 3*: Middle of the road 4*: Good 5*: Amazing (will round up/down songs that I feel fit between two ratings) ALBUM 2: Is This It This album was very consistent throughout. I could find absolutely nothing to dislike abt this album and there were no songs that I disliked. While I wouldn't say its one of my fav albums, I rlly enjoyed it and think it deserves my high rating. 4.5* rounded up to 5

Not for me. I get why my kids would enjoy it.

9/10 fantastic rock album so many great songs, great aesthetics too

Goated

I really liked this album

A lot of nostalgia for me in this one. Just narrowly misses a 4.

Indie garage rock. Un megahit. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Strong lyrics, solid bass and guitar riffs. Only knock is a lot of the songs sound the same. Solid album. Will download and listen some more.

I knew so much of this album. It's a fun album with memorable riffs and poppy lyrics that is a good listen. But by the end, it all starts to blend together. However, my autoplay started playing Arctic Monkeys afterwards and I realized I wished I had listened to them instead for the hour.

This may not be life changing, but it’s catchy as hell. That said, it’s less than 40 minutes long and by the last quarter it was all starting to sound the same and I was tired of it. Can you tell I wrote this review while listening? The importance of listening all the way until the end.

Bellissimo album che il passare del tempo non scalfisce. Pixies, Velvet, Franz Ferdinand... passato e presente (del tempo) e una produzione perfetta, né troppo pop né troppo indie. A una punta di stella dalle 5*

Another one of those albums where 'Alternative' is a poor excuse for 'no variation'. I mean, why produce an album at all when you only have ideas for one song?!? *annoyed sigh* 2/5

Better than i thought, handful of + songs added. Barely any skips, only the single

Enjoyable, easy to listen to, and a couple of catchy tunes, but nothing that blows me away. 3.5 stars.

Just not feeling it, they were never in my wheel house when this stuff was new, and hasn't really grown on me since. Some catchy stuff in a few song for sure, but just not understanding the hype.

great album

Is this it this modern age soma barely legal someday last nite hard to explain take it or leave it jesus i enjoyed the whole bloody album, every track. no wonder every other rock band since has copied their sound

Solid album, a lot to enjoy here.

I used to listen to this a lot, but it doesn't seem as good as i remember as a full album. There's 4 really, really great singles and the rest is a bit forgettable.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Pretty basic and simple rock music, four beats to the bar, banging away most of the time. Not.something you call sophisticated but it has energy and swagger.

Normally I like the Strokes, but not feeling it this time

Komende week weinig tijd om te luisteren naar voor mij nieuwe albums. Dit album kende ik gelukkig al. Binnenkomer legt een goeie fundering waar de rest op gebouwd kan worden. Vind het gitaargebruik heel lekker en aangenaam klinken. Kan me voorstellen dat dit inspiratie is geweest voor velen bands. Doet me toch heel erg aan m'n ex denken aangezien ze groot strokes fan is. Hoogtepunt: Is this it blijft me toch wel het meeste bij.

Een ijzersterk debuutalbum kan je dit wel noemen. Een album dat de indie rock beweging begin jaren 00 een duikvlucht liet nemen. De albumcover is ultra iconisch, herken je uit duizenden. Ik ben niet de grootste Strokes fan, maar je kan er niet omheen dat dit album zo goed is, het heeft eigenlijk geen imperfecties. Het enige wat ik heb aan te merken is dat de vocale effecten een beetje overused worden. Het is typerend voor dit album, ja, maar ik denk dat er even knallende nummers zouden kunnen gemaakt worden zonder deze lofi/distortion achtige effecten. Het begint na de 11 nummers een klein beetje op m’n zenuwen te werken. Rating: 9/10 Highlights: Vrijwel het hele album

Misschien niet de OG cool indie kids, maar zeker die het meest tot de verbeelding spreken. The Strokes' debuutalbum is echt een iconische pilaar - en mogelijk de belangrijkste - in de fundering van de 21e-eeuwse rockwereld. Dit was misschien wel het eerste album waarbij ik rustig andere dingen in huis kon gaan doen, terwijl de plaat op de achtergrond in een andere ruimte z'n gang kon gaan, wetende dat elk nummer ondertussen wel vastgebakken zit in m'n brein - en in m'n ziel eigenlijk. Front to back, en back to front, 'Is This It' is als een aap, noot, mies voor indie rock liefhebbers. Het is meer een revival van garage-achtige genres, en de lo-fi benadering die we al terugzagen in het werk van The Velvet Underground, dan dat het echt revolutionaire trucjes tentoonstelt. Het is een gitaaralbum pur sang, en de riffjes en basslines ademen de muzikale souplesse van hun stadsgenoten Television. En niet alleen de virtuositeit op de snaren, maar ook de algehele look van The Strokes is als een reïncarnatie van hun musical peers. Maar het is geen kopie. Het gitaarwerk is ruiger, sneller en dansbaarder, en krijgt een geheel andere lading door de laid back - maar toch luidkeelse - vocalen van Julian Casablancas. De laconieke wijze waarop hij de nummers overbrengt is minstens zo sturend geweest voor de indie rock boom die volgde na dit album als dat de gitaren dat waren. De dichtheid aan pakkende rock songs op dit album is bijna unmatched. Op het eerste oog is het een verzameling aan vluggertjes, die allen hun eigen piekfijne riffs etaleren, maar ook nogal eendimensionaal zijn. Maar ondanks de geringe lengte van de songs - en de LP in het geheel - zijn er nog verrassend veel slimmigheden te vinden die het album naast enorm catchy ook gewoon heel boeiend maakt. Die intelligente songwriting is bijvoorbeeld te vinden in de verrassende tempowisselingen van 'Soma', de wijze hoe de lazy intro van 'Alone, Together' onaangekondigd transformeert in een punkerige banger, en de complexe afsluiter 'Take It Or Leave It'. Vaak zul je als kritiek op dit album lezen dat hij eentonig is, maar geen song gebruikt de zelfde opbouw, en het is soms knap lastig om het verschil tussen een couplet en een refrein te horen. Sonically, vocally en instrumentally is er weinig variatie op het album, maar de onorthodoxe structuur van de nummers en onvoorspelbare riff- en tempowisselingen zorgen dat het album niet alleen leeft op z'n catchy gitaarspel en het charisma van Julian. Op de tamelijk zwakke opener 'Is This It' en de forgettable 'Trying Your Luck' na zit er eigenlijk geen echte filler op het album, en heb ik voor het eerst echt moeite met het aanwijzen van highlights. Er staan zoveel boeiende songs op. 'The Modern Age' had wat mij betreft de opener moeten zijn. Stilistisch gezien zet hij de juiste toon, en laat de luisteraar direct weten dat het hier niet om je average garage rock band gaat. De chorus is echt classic Strokes. 'Someday' en 'Last Nite' zijn de twee songs die echt boven de rest van het album zijn uitgegroeid qua cultstatus, en zijn echt staples op elke indieparty/gitaardisco. De eerste doet me niet zoveel, maar 'Last Nite' is zelfs na honderden luisterbeurten nog steeds een gangmaker. Wel vind ik dat de populariteit van deze twee singles andere juweeltjes op het album overschaduwen, zo ook de derde single 'Hard To Explain', wat m'n absolute favoriet van het album is. Het was het eerste nummer waar ik bewust van was dat het een nummer van The Strokes was, en hij staat tot de dag van vandaag nog steeds op eenzame hoogte. Het no nonsense gitaarspel, de extreem lo-fi vocalen van Julian, de waanzinnige hook. Het klopt gewoon, ik kan moeilijk uitleggen waarom ( ;) ;) ;) ;) ). Het is ook het nummer die de stempel 'post-punk revival' het best past. 'New York City Cops' is een andere personal favorite, en is de song waar het meeste speelplezier van afspat. Plus dat het aan het einde van de rit eigenlijk altijd het nummer is dat zich nog in m'n hoofd afspeelt, en dat zegt wat gezien z'n concurrentie. Interessant verhaal ook waarom hij niet op de originele US release stond. Vaak kijk ik met een hoop jaloezie naar het exceptionele assortiment van artiesten in de 60s en de 80s, bijvoorbeeld. Als je je realiseert aan wat voor waanzinnige releases het muziekminnende volk destijds werd blootgesteld, en je dan een kijkje neemt in de toch wat gezapige alternative charts van de laatste jaren, dan krijg ik heimwee naar een tijd die ik niet heb meegemaakt. Maar albums als deze zijn een reminder dat ook onze generatie z'n Pet Sounds en Dark Side of the Moons heeft, ook al komt hij in een volledig andere verpakking. Een generation defining plaat waar we trots op mogen zijn. 9,5/10 Highlights: The Modern Age Hard To Explain New York City Cops

Is this it? Already? Had nog wel ff mogen doorgaan. Het waren 35 gelukzalige minuten... Ik ga hier niet al te veel woorden aan vuil maken. Deze plaat is precies wat ik lekker vind en waar de zeroes destijds behoefte aan hadden. Dankzij deze plaat is er nog zoveel gave indierock verschenen in de jaren 00 en 10. Daar moeten we the Strokes dankbaar voor zijn. Even dacht ik dat de echte rammers op de andere platen stonden, maar in deel 2 van het album bewijzen ze het tegendeel. Hier doen we niet moeilijk over: 10/10 Highlights Is this it Someday Last Nite Hard to Explain Take it or Leave It En shout-out naar het later geskipte New York City Cops. 9/11 denken we even weg. Dan toch gewoon één van de lekkerste tunes van de plaat.

Nøøøj hvor har jeg hygget mig med det her album hele weekenden. Næsten alle numre kendte jeg, og resten er også virkelig gode!

Garage Rock Revival på toppen. Klart et af de bedste albums til at byde det nye årtusinde velkommen og sparke døren ind med et nyt take på en gammel lyd. Simpelt, energisk, ørehængende riffs og en forsanger der både kan lyde køligt fraværende og intenst vrissende. Så nemt kan god rock laves.

I've been slowly learning via this list that I have very limited knowledge of post 2000 music as I stuck my head in the sand at some stage pre 2k. That said my 16yo has been a huge fan of The Strokes and I've been getting into them as I hear more and more. This album is touted as the "reinvention of post-millennium guitar music" so my thanks go to The Strokes. Faves: Someday, Last Nite, and Hard To Explain.

Lot of nostalgia for this! It was definitely one of the highlights in 2001s musical landscape, and popular with my friend group. Still stands up to scrutiny, I'd say! Fave tracks - "The Modern Age", "Last Nite", "New York City Cops" - really, though, any track from this album will give me that sweet sweet reminiscence!

Yawn.

Nice

Pretty good but a bit repetitive

Favourite song - hard to explain

A provocative cover which promises so much yet the music delivers so little.

troede jeg ville være sådan helt 🙄🙄 fordi den her slags musik er ikke rigtigt mig, men synes den er rigtig god faktisk (også en smule monoton). New York City Cops er fed! Last Nite er fed og lyder ret meget som American Girl med Tom Petty!

mesterværk!

Kan stort set alle sange med tekster.. Kan godt finde på at smide hele albummet på fra ende til anden.. det må være definitionen på en 5'er..

Not my jam.

Cornerstone album of the genre, song structures and riffs are simple but mesmerizing, fun listen start to finish. Side note the riffs on 'Alone Together' bang so hard

Great singles on this album. All sounds the same!

Upbeat and fun with punk vibes. Was interesting listening with Kelly since she knew the whole album from high school. Enjoyed the album overall.

Groove rock, rythym guitar keeps the beat and the bass feels more lead/solo, I can see how it was a hit as contrast to typical rock sound

Gave it a second listen to decide of its a 3 or 4. It's a 3

Weird. When this popped up I was listening to it on vinyl. Good album. Loose production makes it sounds like it was recorded live in a garage. It’s a a brilliant debut album with catchy tracks and sun lyrics.

I have always loved the Strokes, including when Last Nite dropped, but didn't get into them until well after this. They (with Interpol/Shins/et al) seem to have kept true rock moving in the aughts while other mainstays were effing around with electronica or being dwarfed by Hip Hop/Pop. I like the feel of this album and their sound is so good and inventive--it was fun to read about their origins. I like their next album more, but probably because it's the only one I own and I WORE IT OUT!

This was interesting. Didn't love it, didn't dislike it, won't remember it next month.

I immediately got into the groove of this album and never got out of it.

They don’t jive with me. Boring vocals and voice

I liked this album. My second time through I liked it even more than the first time. I like the lofi sound, I think the guitar tracks are really interesting. I maybe could use a hair more variation in the tracks, but coming in at 35 minutes its kind of OK as is. I'm going 4 stars for now but could easily see it jumping up to 5

This is an excellent album. I am not sure why I haven't listend to this before but I will definitely listen again.

When this came out over 20 years ago, the Sous Chef where I was working told me about this band that reminded him of the Velvet Underground. He was about the age I am now and we both shared a love of music. 'This Is It' is such a New York album for me. Quick paced and loud. Every song is like a New York Conversation. All of the instruments are distinct, weaving in and out, sometimes arguing, sometimes complementing, sometimes taking turns. All atop Julian Casablancas lyrical storytelling introducing us to a cast of characters throughout. Loved it then, love it still.

This was great. I wasn't into The Strokes when they were big, but this was definitely a hit of nostalgia. I expected the tracks to be repetitive but they stood out from each other. This album felt a lot like Wolfmother because it's classic rock and roll presented in a slightly new way with a little funk on it.

Solid album, great musicians. I would have liked to have been able to understand the vocals a bit more.

Best wel priem!

I've always felt like I'm missing something when people talk about The Strokes. I find it difficult to get excited about them. I find them a bit boring lyrically and vocally. I've heard this album before, but enjoyed listening to it more closely, and a lot of the music stuck out to me more this time. I'm still not a huge fan of Julian Casablancas - even the moments when it seemed like he was trying to do something different vocally (like in Take It or Leave It) I wasn't super into it. But the songs on this album are solid. Faves: Last Nite; Hard to Explain; Alone, Together

Not my cup of tea.

Sleek and stylish and way too cool for school, but also a little self-regarding one feels, a bit too knowing but perhaps not as smart or savvy as it wants to be. Had the good sense to be poppier than punk, punkier than glam, and more fun/rolicking than VU/Reed with its predlictions toward the ponderous and pretentious. Perfomrative, yes, but will Casablancas some credit for irony and a touch of self-parody, too (which are features, not bugs, and seem to have grown more additive, if less necessary, over time). Still a pretty fun and glittery ride that holds up better than one might have guessed hearing it in real time lo, these decades ago.

Not my cup of tea.

# Playlist track - The Modern Age # Notes - Boy, this makes me feel old. This was *amazing* when it came out. And it's aging pretty well! +1 - The opening chord +1 - Cover art +1 - Hard to choose a favorite track for the playlist +1 - No bad tracks +1

I really really like this album. So glad it still sounds fresh after 20+ years. The bass line in the opening track is glorious, all from a Casablancas demo. The dry guitars and distorted vocals are iconic. Listening again there are so many high points in the album, like the solo in last nite, or the chorus in hard to explain. It is such a well crafted album. The playing is quite restrained and minimal at times, so when there’s a change in the drums or a guitar riff, or a melodic bass line comes in, it really has impact.

ugh. Did not enjoy this album at all.

March 12, 2024 HL: title track, “The Modern Age”, “Someday”, “Last Nite”, “Hard to Explain” Playing catchup. Not only is today the first time I listened to (all of) the Strokes’ Is This It, it’s the first time for Room on Fire (2003) as well. As someone who leans toward 2000s indie bands, this has been a longtime blind spot. At the same time, I couldn’t see the appeal in diving deeper into their catalogue past “Last Nite” and “Reptilia”, as catchy as they were. So what to say about their debut that hasn’t been said? I don’t have any emotional connection to it, but after the 5 killer highlights I listed earlier, and my next favourites “Soma” & “New York City Cops”, there’s not really any loss of quality with the remaining 4 tracks. They built a pretty airtight ship here. And the next one might be just as catchy, if not more so! Damn, nothing to justify my playlists going sans-Strokes all this time. Somewhere between 4 and 5, but I’ll round up tonight.

ASSSSSSS ALBUM!!! Fav songs: - Is This It - The Modern Age - Barely Legal - Someday - Last Nite - Hard to Explain

Last Nite was on the version of Guitar Hero I had lol. Havent listened to this album in ages, and I think this is the only The Strokes album I've ever listened to. They feel like the American spiritual approximation of what Oasis was to the UK imo. In both cases I definitely got a lot more out of this in the mid 2000s than I do listening now, but its still enjoyable. Just on the scale from dated to timeless this is heading a bit more towards the dated side of the spectrum. I wish there was a bit more variety in the sound, and the riffs are dead simple, which I get is rooted in punk but did have me wishing for more at time. 3.5 but will round up for the strength of Someday thru Hard to Explain (these 4 do simple perfectly).

Man, that bass line in the title track gets me every time. Is this a Great Album? It is if you ask everyone I went to high school with. While there’s definitely some filler, I can’t deny that this is an excellent listen. Last Night, Someday, Hard to Explain are the singles for good reason. The album has great pacing and lasts as long as it should. Was torn between a 4 and a 5 but add on that this influenced a whole new wave of bands and it gets to the cinco.

Solid alt rock album. Happy to listen to it anytime. Definitely influencing some of my own music writing

I don’t get all of the hype around this band. This is a fine album and I thought some of the guitar parts were really, really good but that’s about it. Maybe they’ve had a lot of influence on bands who came a little later? Not good enough to make me want to hear it again.

I liked this more than I expected to. I just really hate julian casablancas. He's a dickhead and is so obnoxious. The tunes here are all solid though and are a nice fusion of pop and rock. Would do a 3.5 if I could. I just wonder why this band became so popular?

Man. It feels like it's been forever since I've gotten an album that I was actually excited to listen to. Every day for the past week or so (possibly even more) I've clicked on the next album button wondering "is this it?" Well, fortunately, "Is This It" is, in fact, it. This album is awesome. I love it. It feels like what the modern equivalent to something like The Velvet Underground would sound like in the best way possible. I think the clearest example of this is in the singing. Julian Casablancas is like if Lou Reed was a good singer. That was a joke, but I do like this singing more. The sound is just great. It's like the perfect mix of punk, alt-rock, and even pop at times. The writing is quite good as well. There's depth to this album. There really isn't a bad song. The popular ones like Last Nite are deservedly popular, but even the tracks that don't get talked about as much still stand strong. This isn't that important, but I find that both the original album cover and the replacement are quite good. I think the original fits the album better, but I do really like looking at the replacement. Although, that's not to say that the original isn't visually pleasing in a different way, if you know what I'm saying. Overall, this is easily the best album I've gotten in a while, and my second favorite album of 2001, only behind Toxicity by System of a Down. 5/5.

pleasant songs

simply iconic, enjoyed listening to british version over US this time even though it's just one track.

Nice

I remember thinking this album was too repetitive but I must have listened to it a lot because it felt nostalgic and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would

I see from a little background reading The Strokes were leaders of the early 2000's post-punk movement. This album did not do much for me. Very upbeat and guitar heavy, which is great but it just didn't keep my interest.

Didn't we all Alex. The Strokes get credited for saving rock from the Smash Mouths of this world. While I'm sure that's hyperbole, they did define what a rock band would sound like for my entire childhood. On a related side note, I'm old. 4/5.

Pretty solid. Sad they changed the album cover.

Really enjoyed this one. Can still remember when it came out and all the hype around it. The album definitely lives up to it. 4/5 Will listen again

This is quintessential 2000’s rock, it’s got all the right grooves and a message about living a life with meaning over some brilliant band chemistry. Favorite Song: Hard to Explain.

Favorite Tracks: Hard To Explain Someday Last Night

Too definitive of the early 2000s and the album was more pop-py than I remember.

4/5. Fun album. Teen me loved this album.

Typical late 90's POP....I do not call this Rock. I can do without....I did enjoy Trying your Luck!

Is This It So good when it first came out. In fact I think I might have bought it in Melbourne when I came to visit you Paul. July 2001, so the timing checks out. Think I also bought the Purple Hills single by D12 at the same time. Is this still good or is there too much nostalgia? I love that the first track played with the idea of hype and disappointment. Obviously the hype was huge, so to open with a detached sounding song that never quite builds and then just sort of finishes is great. Super bassline hanging the whole thing together. Banger after banger. No matter how derivative the songs might be or how self consciously cool they wanted to be the songs are excellent. For their particular style and template it really is fantastic. No weak tracks. 35 mins. Superb. Love the overall sound, particularly that dry drum sound and the rhythm guitars. Although Last Night is basically American Girl the rhythm guitar is Lennon-esque, not quite the triplets of All My Loving but a nice version of it. It so heavily reminds me of early 2000s and absolutely loving it but I don’t think it sounds dated, it’s still great, unlike a lot of bands albums they followed in their slipstream. Musically and aesthetically they had the same effect on rock music as Nirvana did a decade before, you can see clear a line before and after of how indie rock bands looked and sounded. My only slight reservation is that sometimes I think it’s too studied a synthesis of cool influences and is it really them, is there an artifice that I can’t quite see through? But then I think I’m overthinking it and every time I listen to it I love it. So it has to be a 5, can’t be anything else. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Liked it a lot. Good rock vibes, and overall not bad

Fantastic record. Great melodies and vocals with an upbeat tempo. Classics that I had heard before but didn’t realize was this group. Very good listen.

For me, perfectly formed

When I was a teenager listening to The Jesus and Marychain and The Primitives my mum used to shake her head at me and say, "that just sounds like the 60s. Why do young people want to listen to that? Why not listen to something original". But they were my 60s sounding stuff. I didn't want to just listen to old stuff. When this album came out I realised I was now just a little bit more like my mum. But if you're 10+ years younger than me maybe this was/is exciting.

A very youthful sounding LP; that is, the sort of record you could imagine as part of the soundtrack to an American slice of life drama/comedy. Evokes thoughts of quickly smoked cigarettes, wind-swept hair and late night drives in dodgy cars. That said, the sound does stay rather samey; if it were a little more adventurous with its tones, this LP could score a bit higher.

a perfect album if ever there was one.. the bassline to is this it alone makes this a five star-er

Listened to this none stop when it came out (and before, thanks SoulSeek!). Every single track is a banger.

I really liked this. Been meaning to listen to some of their stuff.

2001 Genre: Indie rock, garage rock revival, post-punk revival Standouts: Last Nite, Someday, Soma, Hard to Explain

These guys always sounded to me like they had listened to other bands and kind of tried to recreate the sound. All style no substance.

Lots of songs that I enjoyed, although it was monotonous in places. I wish I heard this when it was released! I would def listen again.

I had not listened to The Strokes before and I was surprised that I rally enjoyed their style. Great album.

Great album, own it already

Never heard this all the way through before and idk how, it’s perfect. “After the September 11 attacks, the American compact disc release was delayed from September 25 to October 9 and had its track list amended, with the song "New York City Cops" being removed and replaced.” Lol

i love the strokes ‼️‼️‼️ wtf is the touch of a woman 🤨 5/5

Классика, которую я, судя по всему, не могу воспринимать в контексте всей вышедшей позже музыки: говорят, чтобы понять влияние и популярность дебютного(!) альбома Касабланкаса (фамилия потрясная) и компании, нужно было жить в лимбе одинакового ню-метала и криков Фреда Дёрста, как всем теперь кажется, вечность. Если поставить вопрос таким образом (а именно что лучше, вечный Линкин Парк [со всем уважением к их музыке] и ню-метал или вечный Строукс и инди-рок), то это явно лучший альбом из всех мне предложенных до сих пор: если бы не эта революция, я бы скорее всего слушал EDM, Майли Сайрус и латин поп-хиты с радио (как будто в этом есть что-то плохое). У этого альбома супер-странное происходит с обложкой. Конечно же международная гораздо лучше, чем американская. Революционный ли это альбом? Нет. Это даже не лучший альбом группы более, имо (ибо почти 20 лет спустя вышел The New Abnormal). Лучшая-лучшая песня группы вышла два года спустя (см. Reptilia). И, собственно, только за это (как будто освобождения от ню-метал-ства было мало) этот альбом можно любить. А тут еще и неплохие песни. Лучшая песня - Trying Your Luck.

One of the great indie rock albums. Songs lack variety but they're great songs.

Definitely pretty high energy rocking out, grungy

Uma bosta

4+

Yea, it was fun

A fun pop album reminding me of the vibe when I first hear block party. Loved the tone of the drums and the overblown vocals. Overall not my favorite listen but haven’t come across any bad songs.

11/11 songs saved

Last Nite got me into this Band. All the other songs made me stay

Nicht meine Richtung

First Listen: It feels like one continuous song throughout the whole album which can be a great thing. Easy flow, but to me there was not a single memorable song within the whole album. I can’t say that I had a favorite one or that I disliked any of them. I might want to go back and listen to this album again… Second Listen: Sick guitar solo from track 2 “The Modern Age!” Nice discordant ending. Frequent abrupt track endings. I fell asleep halfway through second listen…

Sounds like any other indie rock album nowadays, even though it has a vibe

Serious bangers on their. I feel like The Strokes gained too much of their style from their lo-fi mic sound they use on every single song though.

Fuck yeah.

I like it, i feel like i will definitely be listening to it again. Trying your luck so far is my favorite one.

Definitely has a throwback sound to it. Good guitar play but the vocals are not my cup of tea with the "vintage mono" filter on his voice. I've given it a few listens but it never quite hold my attention or makes me want to dig further. 3/5 for being sonically interesting.

I like this album, familiar with a few songs. The Strokes are indie before indie was big. Will listen to this again.

Really liked this band a lot. Great instruments and voice of lead singer. I am willing to give them a listen on some other albums.

I was shocked because I didn’t think it was going to be that good!!!

I really liked this album. I had heard a couple songs by The Strokes before but never really listened to them much. This was pretty solid, not enough to get them a 5 since quite a few of their songs kinda sound the same and there isn't much variety in terms of what their frontman does vocally or really overall with their sound. However lyrically I felt there was enough variation and combined with the different feels to each song, I felt there was enough variety to keep one interested for the entire album so this gets a 4. Kinda reminds me of Cage the Elephant.

not a fan of the album cover, but was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the album. vocals, music-enjoyed all of it

Legitimately perfect rock album. Boomer comment of I remember back in my day when “New York City Cops” was on it instead of “When It Started.”

A lot better than I expected! Cool guitar riffs and an expressive vokal performance, but a bit too monotonous.

Never really got into this one. Sure, songs like Someday and Last Nite are solid. But the rest sound so generic -- like golden-age Interpol without the gothic sadness and great breakdowns, or jangle-rock like the Wedding Present without the bittersweet lyrics and vocal delivery, or wall of stacked guitar riffs. This is bare bones and there's not enough meat to bite into

Good! Great guitar and vocals. Interesting lyrics too

One that I know very well but in my opinion, bettered by its successors. I didn’t quite get the hype at the time; it sounded a bit mechanical, the vocals are all distorted and I sort of felt the songs all sound too samey. It’s still one I listen to quite often though and was hugely significant at the time, which fortunately I was there to see.

Strokes in it.

A frequent flyer on the radio station I listened to in high school - pretty formative for expanding my music taste

Very good album, reminds me of Veronica Mars and middle school which is fun

Great album with some nice classics!

This album was pretty good, and i would recommend it to others.

If I was more depressed and like spoken word, would like it more but its fine

I have listened to this many many times in the past so didn’t listen to it on the day. Good stuff 4/5

Excellent!

Sucks

I liked it, it was new to me

I wasn’t sure at first if I liked this or not, but I eventually warmed up to it and it clicked for me in the second half. This album is amazing. The lyrics paired with the distorted vocals are fun. The instrumentals, while samey, are very energetic and fun to listen to. The distorted percussion on some tracks sounds great as well. Good production as well. All around good

Amazing album

Ever come across an album that you feel bad about not having listened to during its prime? This is one of those for me. I know The Strokes and grew up hearing them on the radio, and even have some of their newer stuff on regular rotation. But for whatever reason I never gave this record a fair shake. Wrong decision, because this is fantastic! Carefree indie rock that's so representative of the early 2000s. The instrumentals are simple, the melodies are easy, and the vocals are never anything complicated. Sonically, it's not actually anything that's particularly exciting. The sound and its simplicity are very much evocative of my childhood, though. Music has many qualities, but nostalgia is an easy way to my heart. Standouts are The Modern Age and Someday.

4.0

Yes it is.

Easy 4 stars if for no reason than Last Nite.

Not really it for me. Different Strokes for different folks, I guess.

This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Notable tracks include is this it?, the modern age, someday, last nite, hard to explain, trying your luck. Great band.

I’ve heard of the Strokes but couldn’t name a single song of theirs. Turns out I knew “Last Nite”… but that’s it. And all the rest are the same. I’d rather just listen to The Buzzcocks.

Not for me, sound the same.

It's fine