Is This It

It’s well-written guitar rock that spawned dozens of followers. But it’s a bit monochromatic. Once you’ve heard the first three or four songs, don’t expect anything different.

It's great that The Strokes reclaimed the punk sound back from what the 90s Punks did to it. While not true punk, Is This It checks off a couple of boxes and is a pleasant listen. 3.5/5.

It’s an album I know well and it has the sound that at the time propelled them into consciousness but it’s ultimately a bit flat. I don’t think it’s an album I’d keep going back to.

I liked the early 2000s punk rock kinda of vibe but it didn’t stand out too much the first listen. Going to the listen but as of right now it’s 5/10 for me.

meh, it's ok

idk just standard indie type music, nothing really stands out to me. Sorry strokes!

An almost lo-fi rock album, I definitely hear how this album would be influential for rock as a genre to progress.

I was much more into Interpol on one hand, though that was a year later, and heavier fair on the other to really fall into The Strokes and only really heard their big hits, which never grabbed me. This time around I really preferred The Modern Age to Last Night, which might explain why I was never into them. The album itself I'm sure was a big influence to many, but it sounds too much like a million others at this point for me to care that much.

Pretty cool, 2 good songs ( Last Nite and Someday ) but actually I think all the songs sound really similar and even though the album is on the short side it kind of gets old pretty fast.

A solid album. Enjoyed “someday” the most.

Is this it? Seems apropos for the album. Do not get this wrong, the album is good, but that is it. It is well-balanced at the start, and then sort of cruises at the same altitude the rest of the way. Not much for variety, and it starts to flirt with boredom. However, in spite of all that, there is a bit of an answer as to whether or not that was it, and the answer is 'yes'. Yes, that's it. A little bit of acceptance that the album hits a plateau early, and then at least the intentions are clear, expectations are carefully managed, and it earns a three.

When I think of The Strokes, I will forever think of The Onion article "That Guy From the Strokes Accused of Looking Like That Guy From the Strokes"

Not personally a sound I enjoy loads, but did quite like the songs on here

Interesting cover - I thought it was the inside sleeve for Spinal Tap's Smell the Glove. More strangely it bears no resemblance to the cover on the cd I have for the album. These guys are kind of cotton candy. They sound good the first time you hear them but there is no substance to them. Bunch of posers - though it's reasonably pleasant.

It was 2001, rock music was at its lowest level in decades and all of a sudden there was this album called Is This It by a group called The Strokes, from NYC, that played uncomplicated rock 'n' roll. An album that influenced a lot of new bands in the early 2000's and brought about a revival of the alternative rock-band scene. And this is by no means a bad album, it's simplistic and passionate rock 'n roll. But looking past the immense influence this album had, truth be told, it's not that this has really added something special to the ever-growing rock history. It's good, but it's not great, it's not inventive, it's nothing new. 3,5*

Pretty decent, sounds like a typical alt rock album, with their distinct sound. Easy listening, thanks to rock band and guitar hero I actually know a lot of these songs

Short and sweet. Little repetitive and mopey

its allright

Are The Stokes cool because their music is cool, or is their music cool because The Strokes are cool? Answer: it's both. The image. The sound. Either without the other would not have been half as successful. Does that make The Strokes style over substance? No. The rhythmic guitars, chugging bass, and distorted vocals create a sound that is their own, owned by them, and perfectly fits their aesthetic. The sound is the image and the image is the sound. Depending on how much you like it, this album is either a consistent stylistic piece, or the same song repeated 11 times. Again, it's probably both. I personally moderately like the sound, but don't feel like I need to hear the same thing for 36 minutes. However, to add variety (even with just a single track) would undermine the aesthetic and ruin the album. In terms of meeting the artistic intent this is a 5/5. In terms of my enjoyment of the album it's a 3/5. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Last Nite Date listened: 10/06/22

Some good stuff. I like them but nothing really popped out

After a slow start this just bounded along and was quietly infectious.

Not a bad album, but very middle of the road. I guess I'm not a huge strokes fan. And I wouldn't be surprised if they were a British band either.

Man, music was desperate for the next big thing in 2000-2001! How many bands/artists got a crack at the wheel? At the Drive-In, Ryan Adams, Interpol, The White Stripes, The Hives, the Vines, Jet, Wolfmother, Thursday (love ya, Steve) and like 47 other bands I can't even remember right now. Apparently we REALLY needed a new big thing, y'all. And, of course, The Strokes. I expected to be disappointed from listening to this again, not unlike my experience with that White Stripes record that was on this list. But not so much this time. I think I prefer their record after this (if memory serves), but I'm still very drawn to the guitars and bass here. I like the sound, I like the melodies, I like the rhythm. It's hard to separate the singing from the overall experience, but it's my least favorite part of what this band does. In fact, listening this time I was struck by how poppy some of these tunes are. Kind of makes me wonder what they would sound like with a singer who had more range and was able to lean into that side of their arrangements more. That said, what's there doesn't annoy me. Totally get the kidz bop reference though. There's for sure a whole air of adopting an aesthetic from a time period these dudes weren't even alive for yet. And that shit does kind of drive me crazy. (Looking at you Greta Van Fleet!) But over time I think that stuff fades away a bit and seems relatively harmless. The hype was probably only half their fault to begin with, and they definitely did not get to be the next big thing for very long. At least that one dude in the band got to date Drew Barrymore. Anyway, I'm watching a hockey game and they played "Unsung" by Helmet on the house P.A. during a stoppage in play, so I'm gonna go high-five myself.

Best goed. Begin en einde wat minder. Lievelingsliedjes Someday Alone,together Last nite

Eh. Fine.

Liked it but didn't love it.

Poppy and a fun album.

This was a rushed listen as we were out most of the day. Obviously there were the famous tracks which I enjoyed but there were also some not so good tracks. I quite enjoyed watching the videos which don’t usually catch my attention. Overall 3* I think

Better than I remembered at the time. Not something I'd listen to but I was dreading listening and it wasn't that bad.

I used to put The Strokes and Jack White on my shitlist and swore against anything garage rock-related. My disdain for White continues, but I’ve made peace with the Strokes, even if I don’t necessarily love them, either. But the production is crisp and the songwriting is tight and less pretentious than I recall. They sound good together and some of the songs are quite good, even if little of this is material I really come back to. C

I had heard of the Strokes but couldnt name a single song by them. Listening to the album I recognized one song. And then realised Id heard that song before in the previous track. And the next track. All the songs sounded identical like they found one thing and didnt bother trying anything new. A very one note album. 2.5/5

Great songs but I'm very over the vibe of life is empty meaninglessness.

The epitomy of alternative/indie rock in the early 2000s. Solid songs but none stands out, feel like I've heard any of them hundred times before as part of a soundtrack to a movie or video game

Good bass Weird voice Good overall

Good band. Nothing that exites me a lot, btw.

Man, this is a blast from the past. It turns out I actually don't know most of this album, but based on the few I do, I'm pretty hyped. The first few songs are actually a bit of a letdown; Soma is starting to be more like what I was hoping for. Barely Legal also enjoyable, though a bit same-y. Someday fucking rules. Enjoying Alone, Together too, though again maybe a bit running together with the other songs. Last Nite another classic; still great. But Hard to Explain is kind of back to that same-y sound. NYC Cops is good again Trying Your Luck is alright too Take it or Leave it back to the kind of alright, but sort of overdone sound of some of the rest of the album Basically I'm conflicted: when it's good, it's great, and there's nothing that's a real dud; but other than four of five clear winners, the rest sort of sound alike; not bad, but just...alike. I feel justified in only really remembering Someday, Last Nite, etc.

J’aime beaucoup les Strokes. La chanson Last Night à fait exploser le groupe et est dans leurs meilleures, mais je préfère l’album Room On Fire comme album dans son ensemble. Les mélodies sont plus accrocheuses.

3/5 good but nothing much

Maybe it's just me lately, everything is hitting me at three stars, I don't actually dislike it but it's not exciting me. I recall this being a big deal when it came out, though, and I didn't really get it then either. This vocal recording principle where it sounds like someone put a transistor radio in a Mason jar.

I've seen this album cover before and have always heard the Strokes were the "next big thing." I just don't see it. I do see a band that has a few catchy tunes, but not so much that I want to run out and but their stuff. The non-hit tunes sound very same-y. At least it's only 30 minutes long and not 75 minutes, so they get in and out pretty quickly. But it just didn't floor me. "Last Nite" is really catchy, I will give them that.

Fun, nostalgic and defines the era well, will always be a 3/5 band for me

rich New York kids want to play rock'n'roll. Good but ultimately disposable

Saw this pop up and went "crap". But listened anyway. I appreciated it after some time and even liked some of some of it

Pretty good turn of the century rock n roll. Somewhere between a three and a four, but they didn’t really kill it, so this gets a three.

Did 'New York City Cops' cause a fuss at the time? That aside. I'm still, 20+ years later, unsure as to whether this was a futile squeak of resistance or a brave stand against a homogenising juggernaut. Either way, the dear lads were romantics, weren't they?

A good middle section of an album but mostly an average album with just ok songs

A couple of hits, easy to play though

On the one hand, it was very cool to fill in a blind spot on an Era and sound that I am very familiar with, on the other hand it was a little bland across the board for my tastes. The album did have a few shiners though.

risky pic lmao

Last nite is a great tune, found the rest a bit meh

Snotty, trebly post-punk. It's fine but not exactly original.

Fun album, I remember listening to it and being impressed with "what the kids are listening to these days". Maybe a bit too polished and the vocals can grate, but overall listenable end-to-end.

Very good album, loved some of the songs but not really my favorite genre

Beetje veel van hetzelfde uiteindelijk

Toffe plaat! En fijne sound.

Heel aardig. Maar er zijn bands die dit genre nog beter beheersen.

Die stem is een rauwe versie van de stem van de zanger van the killers. Aardig album.

Another in the very long list of bands I'd heard of repeatedly throughout the years yet have no recollection of having heard their music. I like this album. A lot of tips o' the style pen to some cool garage rock/pre-punk indie stuff, yet they seem to have their own voice, which is good. Catchy but not in an annoying way. The lead singer's voice can sometimes get whiny and the screaming can be a bit much, but overall it suits what they're doing.

People love this album, but I just don’t get it

naði ekki að klara en var fun, eitt lag er ron com montage lag, kul sound a plötunni.

3 1/2

A generous 3 stars for nostalgia purposes alone

This is okay, but I never got the wankfest.

Good energy but dated, seems like a trend that was driven into the ground somewhere between Green Day, The Bravery and Interpol.

I understand this is the literal blueprint for 2000s rock, but it's not exactly something I am gonna throw on fir casual listening. 3.5/5

The American Stereophonics. Some great tracks (I mean, Last Nite) and some fillers.

3.5 good not great but definitely some fun songs

Bought this when it came out - they were hotly tipped by the NME. Played it obsessively for about a week. Haven't listened to it again since. Think it holds up *fairly* well. Their sound was quite retro on this album - could be mistaken for Lou Reed at times. Gets quite samey after the first three tracks, though. Last Nite perks it up again a little, but then the last few tracks were a grind.

Ok, but not makes me very happy

I have always liked this album I just don't love it, some great tracks and some tracks that are just there

Liked the drivetime no thoughts needed quality. Not bad for current millennia

This is a solid album, fun to listen to. Good old fashioned garage rock for the millennium, a little edgy but with a strong pop sensibility. It definitely marked a turning point for music heading into the 2000s, a positive one. In the grand scheme though, I don't really have strong feelings for the Strokes. A lot of it just ends up sounding like the same song. It's a good song, but I don't need 11 of them. Fave Songs: Last Nite, Barely Legal, Someday, Hard to Explain

It was OK. Little poppy for me

Ok, inte min smak

Wow

+1 for cover art.

Yes this was a good album! A few bangers in there reminiscent of youth,

A very tight and tidy wee album. The Strokes know how to keep it simple and just write good songs. I always liked this band but they never made a particularly big impression on me first time around. rRe-listening to this album now I pretty much still feel same way. I don’t dislike any of it, but I don’t love it. Cool band though.

They're not the Messiah, they're 'noughty' boys ;)

Classic from my youth. Nice mix of punk, jangly guitars and melodies. Not wild about all of the singing but mostly works.

The debut album from The Strokes is an upbeat indie rock production with dashes of punk rock. This album was released at a time when pop and dance/electronic music was becoming more popular than rock or alternative music. Because of this album release, a new wave of rock and alternative music took hold around the world. The classic band sound was revived for the new age.

It's good. Couple of familiar songs.

I was really enjoying this album and then I noticed it - the rhythm guitar strumming is identical in nearly every song. Yes the chords change but that da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da goes through pretty much every song. Without it, the songs are very different (and good) but it seems like a cheat. Can he do anything else with his instrument? Knocked down from a solid 4 stars.

Solid album but not for me

Kinda dig it. You can kinda hear Last Night in every song. There's no question who you are listening to. Some of it's cause there is a bit of uniqueness to the singer's voice, but mostly because of vocal distortion and the guitarist being kind of a one trick pony.

Slow start, instrumental tracks were good, vocals weren't very understandable

Sounds like a mix of Weezer and The Killers. Better than expected.

Enjoying most songs, but a few are a little "yelly" so have to skip them because they aren't conducive to my workflow.

Is This It: Sfizioso il basso The Modern Age: M'è piaciuto il ritornello inaspettatamente malinconico Alone, Together: Per quanto tutto molto semplice e poco originale me piace, funziona bene insieme Trying Your Luck: Mi piace la chitarra perché fa molto Cake. In Conclusione: Allora qua c'ho un sacco da dire. Io sono esattamente il target ideale di questo album, questo tipo di musica è stato quello con cui so stato in fissa per anni e praticamente ogni pezzi mi ricorda qualche gruppo o qualche pezzo tra i miei preferiti. In teoria sarebbe una cosa buona, l'album suona bene, è sfizioso, è ben scritto. Che c'ha che non va quindi? Secondo me questo album, così come altri che so venuti dopo di lui sono gli autori di una gentrificazione del punk e della musica veramente sofferente. Questa non è musica sofferente come quella da cui prende a piene mani, è l'adolescente borghese con i jeans strappati pagati 200 euri. Suona tutto sporco ad arte, matto quanto basta, distorto quanto basta, stonato quanto basta, ma poi invece di fondo è pop per la gente che si fa di coca ai festini borghesi e vuole sentirsi ribelle. Secondo me sti strokes so bravi e hanno creato un buon prodotto ma artisticamente me stanno sul cazzo.

Really cool, unique sound but all around a snooze about half way through

é bom, mas as duas músicas realmente boas foram as que fizeram mais sucesso, someday e last nite

Vaya...

6/10

- college - i would put this on sims ost - all songs sounds the same, but not bad

I quite like the raw energy album. The it may be because it sounds a bit like The Jam and Lou Reed (although not as stoic).

Good

As much as I’m enjoying expanding my musical horizons, it was nice to listen to something familiar with this album.

Pretty solid!

Bien aimé, malgré que les tounes se ressemblent toutes beaucoup. HARD TO EXPLAIN la meilleure.

rokkitiluttelua ja huutamista. Ei ihan oma juttu, mutta ei nyt suuremmin häirinnytkään. Ehkä menee samalla akselille kuin The Killers ja Disco Ensemble?

meh, it was okay. Nothing really grabbed me. I didn't hate it but I also did not love it. It was background.

Albumet var bra, många bra låtar. Men det blev ganska tråkigt mot slutet. Låtarna lät väldigt lika varandra. Sen gillade jag inte trummorna.

Sounded great 20 years ago, still sounds great today. Very good album.

Good energy, straight-up, poppy.

6

La musique est entraînante, mais je déplore le fait que ça l’air d’être mixé par un projet de cégep. La guitare, le drum et les vocals sont monotones un peu. Overal je lui donne quand même un 3/5, c’est loin du chef d’œuvre

My general feeling was that it had a kind of good style, but it was a bit monotonous and shallow

Indie. Interesante

Pretty good

Ehhhhhhh I mean eh it was uninteresting to me oops

Oh yeah this is a jammy album. Very west coast jam sess. Roll down the highway singing out a convertible. But really heavy undertones, so driving during sun set. The mastering on the vocals are raw and stand out in a really cool contrast to the hip melodys and razor sharp solos. When it started is super bouncy, love that.

Good but not for me

good stuff

OK. Just OK

Too indie and quarternotey, but that's only subjective

Doesn't really hold up

Loved it then, still love it now. Can't listen to it for too long as it gets a bit repetitive and his voice,although really nice can get on my nerves eventually

Not bad, not great. Some fun rhythms.

Ikke yderligere interessant

Alright album!

I like this one OK. The Strokes have a sound I like but don't love. Still, seems pretty worthy of 3 stars. Would listen again, but not sure I would stay on a station that was playing any of the tunes...

Vinegar strokes.

its not bad but i dont feel like its exceptional either

Helt ok om man vill resa tillbaka i tiden då denna typ av musik spelades överallt... Men ur ett mindre subjektivt perspektiv så är det ett tajt album med ett sound som representerar den genren bra.

hmm....

Hadn't listened to this Strokes album its alright but I still do not think the Strokes are not much for me.

Listened before

I really am trying to separate the album fy hie much of a nazi assaulting fucking rich twat Casablanca is…but also. It’s just boring, pretentious and monotonous…brings nothing new to the table. Sounds like an odor album made with daddy’s money.

More less

06/30 Boring and generic

tate mcrae

C'était du riz blanc sans épices. C'était des pâtes sans beurre et sans sel. C'était du tofu cuit à la vapeur. Alors je ne sais pas si ce truc a été influent ou quoi. Si l'on en croit l'extrait de Wikipédia, c'est le cas et franchement, je suis très très curieux de voir les avis des autres utilisateurs à son sujet. Pour moi, c'était absolument barbant. Déjà, la pochette fait pas envie, les trucs avec des gens tout nus mais en noir et blanc pour faire artistique, non merci. Mais si c'était que ça, encore, ça irait. Mais non, il fallait que ça soit le groupe le plus ennuyeux du monde. Je saurais même pas décrire comment c'était tellement c'était osef. Du rock des années 2000. Voilà. J'ai pas mieux. Mais attention, pas du bon, non, là on parle d'un truc tellement entendu mille fois qu'on en tomberait presque malade, qui est beaucoup trop sage pour son bien et qui manque cruellement de niaque. C'est censé être du rock, on est censés être en 2001, alors pourquoi on se farcirait un groupe aussi inutile, alors que 2001, c'est aussi la sortie d'albums avec plus de personnalité. Alors pourquoi ? Est-ce que ça a vraiment été si influent que ça dans les années 2000, alors qu'à ce stade, les White Stripes sortaient déjà leur troisième album et représentent largement plus la quintessence de l'époque, avec dix fois plus de personnalité ? Non, vraiment, je me suis ennuyé. Ce sera pas un 1, parce que c'était quand même mieux que du Georges Michael et à priori, ce ne sont pas des nazis, donc on va rester à 2.

Really think this album is quite overrated. It's got really repetitive song structures, with most the songs being built off the same boring straight quaver chords. All the drum parts are very similar. The main thing I appreciate about this is the production and its influence in general, but even the production leads to a muddying of the already minimal melodies, which just leads to it feeling even less catchy and less danceable. It just doesn't really have anything that hooks me in, other than maybe Julian's more distorted voice being pretty cool. Overall, though, I'd much rather listen to one of the albums that this inspired, like Twin Fantasy or maybe even Geese, if you agree they seem to show some Strokes influence. But yeah, lack of melodies, lack of interesting structures, lack of striking lyrics, even the guitar tones aren't that cool, it's mainly the idea of it and the vocals that feeling influential. Not a fan. For the sake of this challenge, I'm giving this 2 stars, because I really don't enjoy it, but on my AOTY page it's a 66 due to the influence on stuff I do like.

This felt uninspired, like they were just going through the motions. It felt flat and none of it will stay with me.

The strokes were here at a time and i think that was good. Idk if it’s still good and idk if they’re still here?

The Strokes just never really landed to me.

Eu esperava algo mais revolucionário

Det er 25 år siden sist jeg hørte denne plata. Det blir 25 år til neste gang. Det er bare kjedelig, og Casablancas distorta vokal er fjottirriterende.

Radio friendly rock. Not bad, not exceptional. The voice of the singer, or the way it was mixed, was a bit annoying.

2/5 Favorite Song: Is This It

as soon as this came up i said “noooo… ugh” out loud. i think the strokes are so boring. ive heard this album already and the only song i liked was “trying your luck” and i dont even remember why i liked it.

Maybe I'm just really burnt out on 2000s indie rock but I've never gotten the hype around the Strokes. They just sound kind of generic to me, none of the songs on this album were interesting or stood out in my opinion. They also do that intentionally lo-fi vocal thing that's like the music equivalent of buying pre-ripped jeans from Walmart, I hate it so much and have no idea why bands in this era did it all the time. Just not something I was particularly impressed by or care to give a relisten to.

At first, I thought I never listened to The Strokes before. But then I realised this is the sound I heard everywhere during the Indie/Hipster boom after 2000. I like that I can actually hear out the baseline from the mix, most of the time. I didn't mind this album, but I have zero emotional or cultural connection to the sound and themes this album represents. To be fair, I feel a bit weird about it. Like it brings up a certain nostalgia that I should be familiar with but I never actually lived it. I would have given this a 3, but now changing my mind to a 2, because of this forced nostalgia factor.

Kept thinking I was listening to the same song. Doesn’t feel like an all time great to me. The last song is cool tho.

But samey. Characteristic sound. Not my favourite

This is certainly from a moment in time. That album cover didn't age so well. I remember when this came out. I didn't like it much then and I'm not so sure I like it any better now.

I was around 20 when this came out and it totally missed me, no one I knew was on top of it. Listening to the whole thing for the first time today.. I do not see why it was popular and I have read some explanations. I just don't buy it. No hooks, annoying vocals (why do some compare them to Lou Reed??). I actually like some later Strokes stuff but this is the pits in my opinion!

35 minutes of Julian Casablancas' dull droning monotone mumblings? No thanks.

pretty meh. the biggest not bad but not good. I mean I liked a few songs, but Idk, I wouldn't listen to the whole album again

Not bad, not good either. It’s just not so interesting and doesn’t captivate or tell a story.

Mid

I've never seen The Strokes live. So do they sing all their songs through a megaphone? Then why do all their tracks sound like the vocal is being played over a short wave radio crystal speaker? It would be ok for one track, but a whole album?! If they want to record in a tin box then good for them. Not for me.

3/10

Fun but overall the songs sound kinda similar, still enjoyable though

I might have heard of The Strokes before, but it didn’t really stick with me. I’ve listened to the album, but I wouldn’t buy it...

No me encanta

The sound is not interesting, the vocals or the lyrics don't stand out to me.

Enjoyable enough to listen to but doesn’t make a very big impression.

The Spotify bio describing this as being a refreshing departure from grunge/nu metal is an absolutely insane take to me. I don't know, to me this is extremely lame; "what if we took rock but made it not-cool?". The typa music that plays in the background while you fiddle around the FIFA 12 career mode, specifically the songs you get inbetween some Ghanian r'n'b and non-descript d'n'b from, idk, Holland. 2 stars instead of 1 solely because it was a breeze to listen through and it's not aggressively annoying or bad, it's just not fun.

Listened to it. I've rarely been prouder of my teenage self, who rightly concluded that this is a essentially a boring pastiche of late 70s New York Punk. There's nothing wrong with the songs and Last Nite is a good enough pop song.

I didn't like it much at all.

It's a strokes album. Just go find a hits playlist of theirs and make your life easier. Also I caught them copying Oasis and their bullshit elongate the last word of the line. They don't do it on every track but it's there. We see you. Hacks. I talked to someone about it and decided that if you were in a major city, NY, LA, or London and doing coke that you would be a The Strokes fan. Outside of that, someone told you they were good and you just believed them. You heard a few of their tunes and went eh not bad. They tricked you with the hits. This band is a mile wide and an inch deep. Their hits are decent, but the drop off is HUGE. Don't go thinking the deep cuts are there. They are not.

The low-fi indie rock craze of the early 00's started with The Strokes, right? It's a fine album. I've never really been a fan of them, but I can appreciate what they're doing. -- I just found out The Strokes is a nepo-band, built on the back of young insecure girls. the singer is the son of Casablancas modeling founder and Epstein friend- gross. Minus one star.

Close to a 3 tbh but eh not my thing

Yeah not my vibe icl. Just for something that’s fast tempo, short length in songs I don’t find it that catchy nor is there enough studio effects to really make it pop so to me it feels stripped back and doesn’t seem to have much going for it. Some guitar solos are pretty good and a couple decent songs. Also the strumming patterns and drum beats I find kinda annoying I know all this is a giant heaping hot take lol that’s just how I feel. Im not gonna vibe with everything that’s for sure and this one just doesn’t along with my soul or central nervous system or personality idk.

I had one of these songs on my playlist but that's it. I don't know if it's because this day felt like one of those days which you could skip because nothing happened but it wasn't such a big deal listening to this album. Sorry.

Last Nite is in one of those Weird Al polka medleys.

Remember when these guys were the next Big Thing? Snore.

It was too monotonous and boring, I don't like that. Rate 3/10

One or two bangers, but most importantly it gave us Alex Marquez ass picture in the future

I’ve always liked Last Nite so was ultimately expecting more from this. Bit of a let down.

Meh. Maybe it’s just because my wife was mean to me yesterday. But I don’t think so. Got bored before I finished the whole album.

The strokes probably up there with the pioneers of that era, the good old indie era. I can see why they are in here. Was such a huge era for this sort of music. Someday and last nite absolute bangers. Hard to explain and take it or leave it, is probably the only other songs I was a fan of. I find this album very samey, vocals and guitar riffs, as well as the drums. Feel like it could do with some backing vocals to take the edge off in some songs. Also quite hard to listen to sometimes. It’s probably a one and done album for me. But props to the strokes. Middle of the road for me. Think the cover is getting more attention.

i had 2 songs already added however listening to this album made me realise i need to remove them.. also is the album cover the ass cheeks , the knee , or like the shoulder or none 0 added 2 removed

Blech. Boring.

Should have liked this more I thought, but didn't.

It was alright. I’m not the biggest fan of the vocal fry effect they add. Last Nite was the only memorable song and its spelling is cringe as hell so -10 points for that.

I was sure this was going to be a one star album because I really didn't like it at first, particularly not the vocals There were a couple of tracks later on that are a bit better. Not my bag, but not a total disaster

370/1089 - howdy. ig showed me pictures of you even tho i try to focus on art and human-like animals and people fighting … so i thought i’d say a respectful platonic “hello, physical pal.” (maybe) - the end. 🫡returning to self-imposed solitude🌷🦩

Apt title.

i mean its alright but some song are decent and some are confusing if u look at the lyrics

This album is good, maybe even very good...but it's one of those records that I don't see what all the fuss is about. The songwriting is solid albeit a little repetitive, the vocals are also solid but have a ton of range, the guitar, drum, and bass work is solid but also somewhat repetitive and uninspired at times. It almost makes me think...is this it?

Pretty bland and boring sounding. No real change in pace at any point, most songs are consisting of drums, an e-guitar strumming and some distorted vocals. Pretty underwhelming tbh.

I never heard of this band before. A few tracks were interesting. Most were rather annoying to listen to.

I don’t think I like this band. It’s fine. But kind of boring. Every song sounds very similar. The way the guitarist plays, is all the same. Sloppy down strokes. No inspiring riffs. I think the vocalist carries the songs but his vocals aren’t good. It sounds like he is bored so I am bored.

Forgot how happy the strokes are

Each song starts with the same exact chords.

Strokes sound is their sound and they dont stray from it much

el album favorito del varón con mas desapego emocional que existe. obviamente se la da de espiritual.

I didn’t really like it it was a bit too agreasive for me . 2/5

i like this album. it’s not my usual vibe or what i gravitate towards but that’s the point of this whole thing. i’ve listened to the strokes before and i’ve been interested in listening to more of them so this was a nice chance to explore. even though it’s not my usual i enjoyed listening nonetheless and there’s none that i would hate to listen to again. none made it to my playlist because this genre of music in general isn’t exhilarating for me lol. the second half of the album picked up for me with songs such as last nite, hard to explain, new york city cops, and trying your luck

Um ok so I don’t think this is my type of album. It sounded like an album the alt/punk boy would listen to in high school thinking they are so cool and in an effort to show them you’re also cool you end up in their car listening to them wax poetic about whatever - lyrics, guitar riffs, the storytelling, etc. when all you want to do is start making out to get them to stop talking. Also for sure something Mystic Spiral would have come up with -especially New York City Cops and Take It or Leave It. Whiny boy bands going on about how women annoy them is not the vibe.

I’ve never cared for or about this band, largely because they seemed fake. It’s also a time and place thing for me, they were too mainstream for where my tastes were (and mostly still are.) Aside from Last Nite, I wasn’t familiar with the album. How did anyone make it through this album with that terrible opener? What I hear is a Velvet Underground influence filtered through late 90s indie rock. I’d rather listen to the Velvets or actual indie rock. Last Nite is still catchy, and Hard to Explain was nice. They should have kept New York City Cops on the album. Otherwise not very memorable to me. Not a keeper.

Not bad, not exciting but okay

Every song is the same and none are note worthy. Why is this on the list... 1,5

Very tinny, awkward sounding album. Similar sounding songs played over multiple times, avoid.

Lyssnade inte hela, inte min typ tror jag

Was not a fan of this album personally

These lazy sounding New Yorkers who took the world by storm in the 2000's with their effortlessly simple songs were never on my must see or listen list at the time. I've played this several times over the years, but its never made me go Wow. Unlike fellow New Yorkers, Interpol who's debut is so much better. But this was just merely average.

The last album released 2020 is 5 stars, here they have just played for some months.

Should probs listen again, didn’t really absorb

Two albums in a row here on 1001 that have been pretty good. Like the title track. The rest is a bit same samie, but ok.

I feel like this album gets a ton of hype, but it's just bland same-y early 2000s rock. It's not terrible, but certainly not great either.

Really monotonous, the constant strumming is almost headache inducing. The lyrics are charming, but the arrangement of the vocals makes them barely audible. Honestly i expected more especially from the hype ive heared about this album and since i do like their newer songs.

Didn’t feel it.

obnoxious, just like it was in 01/02

Everything sounds the same. After short intros that sound a lottle bit different, when reaching the refrain it is the same sound as the previous song. Sonically the voice sits to far in the back to listen to the lyrics.

Just meh. Not very interesting, at least for me

Fun but vapid.

Really liked, "New York City Cops" But maybe, not my type of album

I remember how big this album was when it came out. Copycats popped up overnight but never really bothered to listen to it. ‘Last Nite’ is a tune but the rest of it is bland as fuck. As I was listening to it I kept asking myself; ‘Is this it?’

Used to love this one when I was a wee lad. Knowing what The Strokes are about now I find this kind of boring and pretentious. The hit still hit and I'll throw this one on when summer hits for sure.

A little boring and repetitive, very of a time and place. It's fine music, just not my jam.

What an album cover. One highlight song and then just your usual stuff from that period. Prob alright to hear live.

Enjoyes a d recognised maybe 1 tune, and the rest were mostly a blur. It ain't it

Hmmm well alright, at first I wasn’t too sure about this album but it’s growing on me a bit as it goes along. It’s some sort of lo-fi rock music and I can’t help but think that there are many other bands that have come before who pull it off much better than this. Although a bit too friendly sounding, it still sounds fun. A lot of the guitar work is also lacking balls and is a bit one dimensional but they do play competently through some mildly interesting arrangements. I think this album might click with further listens but for now I’m a bit ambivalent about its inclusion on this list but it’s ok enough to not be a complete write-off for now.

Basic rock

It’s a pretty good album. I just never got into the strokes outside the hits. But it’s fine.

One song that everyone knows and a droning tone that makes all the other songs blend into one.

Whyyyy is this on the list? It sounds like he's singing into a tin can the whole time. Nonetheless, I liked Someday and Hard to Explain.

one of the more palatable albums but still not my style

meh.

I hadn't knowingly heard any of The Strokes music before. I'd wrongly assumed from their name that they were a punk band - not one of my favourite genres. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they're a rock band Musically this is a good album. It has the rhythms and guitar playing you'd expect from a rock band. Unfortunately not quite so memorable that as I write this 12 hours after listening I don't recall any stand out tracks. What spoiled it for me was the vocals. The lyrics were fine, but their delivery was odd. I don't know if it's just this album or a band style, but the vocals on every track sounded like they were being sung through the inner sleeve of a toilet roll with the end covered in tissue paper. Not quite full kazoo but getting there. I found this fuzziness distracted me from fully enjoying the album. This album was ok to listen to, but in my opinion not up with the upper echelons of the all time greats.

Not too bothered.

So incredibly monotonous. That singer can fuck right off too. It JUST gets a two because some of the songs towards the end of the album I enjoyed a bit, like Trying Your Luck. I suppose repetitive doesn't matter as much when what is being repeated isn't terrible. Very generous 2.

It's...alright? Reeeeeally don't get why this is so well regarded. Extremely simple, repetitive, and at times, grating. I even tried to focus on the lyrics, thinking that must be the appeal -- but the mixing is such that it's almost always incomprehensible. I don't know. Not for me, I guess. Fave tracks: - Someday - Alone, Together - When It Started - Trying Your Luck - Take It Or Leave It

Shit

Some catchy tunes, but mostly felt like noise. Not my cup of tea.

Couple of good songs that sound just like the rest of the album. Not that impressed

To be honest, I never truly understood the appeal of early Strokes. Everything sounds the same to me, and this to me is one of the overhyped, overrated albums of all time. I'd rather be listening to the Arctic Monkeys.

This was pretty good. Overhyped at the time - being lauded by the music press and teenagers put most folk over a certain age off. Anyone with even a slight interest in music could see how unoriginal they were and how their entire presentation by their masters was cliché after cliché. That said, I quite enjoyed it. I really liked New York City Cops. Wouldn’t revisit it, but it was entertaining enough.

This is tough because I fondly remember nights listening to Last Nite and Someday and singing along unabashedly, but the album is just OK.

I genuinely could tell you nothing about this, it largely went in one ear and out the other. I did remember “Someday” and “Last Nite” as the two “hits” from this album, but I couldn’t tell you anything else about it.

This was an okay album, can't say it turned me into a fan. I recognized two songs.

Iconic cover on crap music

It's not my music

WTF... for a second I thought this album would be my first 1 star, but two stars is great for them.

Someday caught my ear like it did everyone else's. Still not for me, so it's about a 2.7 for me. My guess is this gets a 3.08 for user rating.

This list really likes mid "aughts" indie/alt rock a lot. I have tried really hard to appreciate it. I tried to have an open mind, but I still don't see why everyone likes it so much. None of this clicks for me at all.

I’ve been told this is a hot take, but I just don’t care for this.

2.5

A really tedious listen with the constant droning guitar chord

Didn't much care for them when they came out. The album is fine. Their hits aren't bad, but just overplayed.

oh, this actually is it?

I never got into this band. I guess we'll see what old man me thinks.. Yep, I remember the Last Nite song. Hard To Explain was ok. This just doesn't get my loins moist. 2.5.

I think I get what they were going for with the retro sound, but I couldn't really get into this.

The Dostojevski of Rock music (derogatory). I hate the album cover, always have. Putting women's body parts on covers is outdated, makes me uncomfortable. This whole album is incel paradise. Whining about how everyone else is stupid and wrong (title track), using drugs as escapism and being annoyed when their behavior is pointed out to them (Soma; Alone, Together). They are making young adult angst songs that are contrarian without merit (New York City Cops), the protagonist is a gaslighting asshole boyfriend who is unable to communicate with his girlfriend (Last Nite, Trying your Luck), only caring about conservative ideas when they stand in the way of him getting laid (Hard To Explain). I know exactly the type of guy who'd like this album, and I don’t like him very much. I don’t want to hear about guy problems anymore. These songs are sonically and lyrically so mediocre und uninteresting that it's pissing me off - what album by a woman was omitted for this? His voice sounds like he's drunk at a karaoke bar, just wailing and slurring and carefully constructing a certain carelessness that does nothing for me. Themes: The discrepancy between modern day angst vs. dancing the pain away („Still, I will try my best“ - Someday). The darker sides of escapism and cutting ones vulnerability.

I’m not a big punk fan. I can appreciate the album, but it’s not really for me. I did like “Alone, Together” most of all the songs.

As overrated as it was when I first heard it. Only interesting to someone who didn't listen to New York music of 1975 to 1980(ish). And that albim cover? Jeez.

Not my genre

The opening song was terrible. It only got slightly better and I didn’t really enjoy this album. I liked Last Nite and that’s about it.

Never enjoyed these guys. Nothing other than I find their music incredibly dreary. Sorry, not sorry.

This was boring. Some catchy stuff here and there, but really not that interesting.

Didn't like it much at the time, and prefer „The new Abnormal“ by far.

Yikes.

Ben niet perse heel hyped

Ok

This felt like basic radio rock: nothing overly groundbreaking, but also quality craft. But personally I just wasn’t feeling it - not something I would choose to play much again.

I’m not a hater but this album feels so outdated

Boring

Pretty boring in my opinion.

Someday und Is This It sind durchaus ganz cool, der Rest ist mir zu hart

Ehhhh. There's like 2 or 3 popular songs but this is really all just the same song remixed like 16 times. Good background music. Still fun tho.

Same song every time

thought i'd like it more

I really don’t like to listen to the strokes. I don’t like the wealthy art school vibe, I don’t like the put-on chill guy listlessness. I don’t like the way it’s recorded, I don’t like the distorted vocals or the jangly guitars. The experience of listening is one star to me. But also I made the mistake of reading reviews before doing my own. It stands out how much people viewed albums from this time as representing a rock revival. I was still pretty young when this one came out, still enjoyed radio butt rock etc. If I had been five years older at the time I bet this would have felt like a breath of fresh air. Still sucks though.

When the first song started I didn't like the music, when the vocals started I liked it even less. I had previously heard the song "Last Nite" but even the familiarity of that didn't make it listenable. I didn't much care for this at all.

I think there's a reason that they had nearly no success outside the English-speaking countries. They are simply too generic, with no real appeal to them. I can't understand the hype.

Ich habe beim Hören nicht wirklich bemerkt, wo ein Lied aufhört und wo das nächste anfängt. Es klingt nicht schlecht, nur halt etwas monoton.

Det er sku ikke lige min kop te men point for album cover.

Lyrics were cool. But the music itself - not my jam! 🥲 The instruments were a bit too overpowering for my tastes - both in terms of its volume and texture! Album rating: ⭐⭐

I remember this being a thing when it came out. I didn’t apply too much interest in this as I found it to be nothing special. I was right. It all sounded the same. I didn’t get this.

Was alright

point9.

Having seen this on loats of "best albums ever" and "iconic rock" and so on for twenty to thirty years, I've finally listened to it and, let me tell you, the album name hit it on the head. Is this it? It's so much of the same old indie rock scene, and nothing here stands out as anything worth coming back to. It's not awful, but it's not good.

Is this it… my sentiments exactly

I dunno, it somehow feels like a bad imitation of something which could have been good

Completely an avarage album - no reason to be in 1001 album selection

Well, I have completely missed the Strokes in the early 2000s, too soft sounding maybe...Finally I got to listen to the song Reptilia (on the following album) which made me discover this band with a very unique sound and interesting guitar interplay. Is This It, has 2-3 good songs, no more...

Raised on alternative rock, I completely snubbed The Strokes when they came to fame. To me, everything had already been done in the genre, and the essential quality of this band was that they played a part in ending the Britpop movement. And yet, I was never objectively indifferent to The Stroke’s sound, so this is exactly the kind of album that this project allows me to revisit with a fresh perspective. Well, I think I preferred their next album, especially the excellent « The End Has No End ». While some moments are exciting, « Is This It » as a whole feels more flat to me, lacking the intensity I was hoping for. Their sound, though, really stands out and really makes me want to like them. But throughout the album, I keep waiting for something to click, and it rarely does. All in all, I feel more disappointed than really negative.

Supposed to like this, tried to like it, didn't like it. Not my type of rock. Too...light? Whiny?

2,5

Just not really for me

i like a few strokes songs but not sure why this is on the list

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.

I didn't love the album. Most the songs sounded the same, and I don't love that sound. Songs I liked: Is this it, someday, last nite, hard to explain

Background music

there are probably 4 standout tracks for me, the rest unfortunately i couldn't get all that into. I'll also acknowledge im just not a fan of julian casablanca's vocals. alone together to hard to explain is a good 3 song stretch though.

2.45

Last Nite

A bit boring, sounds a bit like English bands as Kooks or Artic Monkeys, only the tunes are quite forgettable.

Now That's What I Call Fifa Music! I know I'm definitely in the minority but what's the appeal here? It's quite monotonous. It's probably on purpose but the vocals are distorted, mixed so far back and drowned out by the instruments, it makes the words unintelligible at times. There are some decent riffs scattered throughout the album and I really like that the catchy basslines are so high in the mix and you don't have to go looking for it. The problem I have is the absolutely relentless strummy guitar which is a problem for indie music in general (yes I called indie a genre, you know what I mean). The game you can play is "when will the relentless strummy guitar change key"? Count along. The first 8 will always be the same, but when in the next 24 strums will it change? Could be the next 8 or maybe they'll keep it the same until there's 8 left and they decide to change the key and the last 4 notes are a bit different. Part of me wants to give this a three because I know this is a well loved album. But I'm also that miserable contrarian who enjoys disliking things that others love. I wish the cool riffs were the central parts of the songs. The two best songs are the two most popular 'Someday' and 'Last Nite'. I don't know if that's because they're familiar or they are simply the best written tracks. There's not enough variance going on here and by the end of the album I was just wanting it to end. It's a two.

I missed most music of the '00's when it happened but it was a thinner decade than I realised if this is one of it's stand out albums. There's some nice tuneage & at times I was feeling it'll improve on another listen but I really cba. I did find the vocals irritatingly weak & I'm astonished that a group with the resources & influence these guys had could settle for such poor production quality. After hovering between a 2 & 3 the latter has landed me on a 2

Boring and simple. The hits were okay, but I wouldn't relisten.

I admittedly didn’t give this a very close listen, because I just listened to it a couple of months ago for the first time and didn’t like it, and I liked it even less this time. Way too same same for me. Doesn’t go anywhere as my dad says.

This one is characterized by monotony. I got bored listening to it

Seems old by today's music

такое се

I liked this album! This is the first time I’m listening to most of these songs, but I can imagine these ones wouldn’t stay in high rotation for long, so not sure I’d be adding them to my playlist but I definitely appreciate this album for what it is!

It's just ok