Is This It

3.5

One of my favourite groups, and this, their first album paves the way for another 5 excellent albums. I like their sound, listened to the album in full with no skips, every track was listenable, some better than others, but none worthy of a part way skip. Their latest album, The New Abnormal, is worth a listen, with my favourite track The Adults Are Talking

Not a bad album not a great album

Good album but a bit repetitive.

I just did not enjoy this album. Sounded very mainstream and generic, nothing unique or special that would constitute it being on this list. This is a weird add IMO.

One of those you played to death back when it was released then put away. Good to have it back out dgain

Va ser vertaderament revolucionari. No només va fer tornar el rock a les llistes i els gustos en una época on l'electrònica, el hip hop i el nu metal acaparaven tot. També va fer que el rock pogués ser novedós, original (fins a cert punt), cool, interessant. Tots ells adjectius que li quedaven gran al génere de feia molts anys. Va originar tot un allau de grups i discos que van fer reviure el rock com no es veia des dels '70s. Tot això al començament d'un nou mil.leni. Màgia pura

<3

Litt meh, også e eg lei as Last Nite. Men da går

New millennium Marquee Moon with a Spinal Tap booty. The 2000s were horrific. It is records like this that sustained us

Some high moments but overall a little too alternative rock for me

This is it. The album to define the new millennium. The Strokes signaled the new wave of rock bands and they were capital-C Cool. Julian Casablancas is to blame. His presentation and songwriting is seemingly effortless with his devil-may-care attitude, it's irresistible. Production that learns from the darker, grittier aspects of grunge while brightening up the sound a bit and spot cleaning for a distinct mix. The Strokes have effectively pulled us out of the 90's. For a long time, I never clicked with This Is It. For whatever reason, it wasn't flashy or interesting or impressive to me. Turns out, it didn't need to be any of those things: It's just damn good. It's the perfect tones and simple grooves. It doesn't need more than a good riff and Casablancas' million-dollar vocals. 11 great songs. None of them over 4 minutes. You've got a half hour of pure excellence. I am consistently impressed with how well-crafted this album is. This is it.

Hey hey it’s the Strokes

I always think I'm going to like The Strokes more than I end up doing. I think I confuse them with The Shins? Either way, this album is good. Great even. It's just not as good as I think it is. BUT THAT COVER MADE ME UNCOMFORTABLE I AM GOING TO CALL MY LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT IT

Pretty normcore.

Love this album. I'm going 5 because there was a period of time where i listened to this once a day 5/5

Don’t mind The Strokes, this is not their best.

Didn't enjoy it quite as much as I thought. Also, it's quite a short album.

Amazing indie rock record! Very anthemic songwriting with great guitar leads. I'm not really that much in the vocals, but musically this is top notch! Key tracks: Is This It, The Modern Age, Soma, Barely Legal, Someday,, Last Nite, Hard To Explain, Trying Your Luck, Take It Or Leave It. 8,5 out of 10

Review tbc

Energetic and memorable. Worth revisiting.

I was a broke 20 year old when this came out and sort of missed the garage rock thing that was happening. I heard a couple Stokes songs on the radio but never had this CD. This is good, but very same sounding. The vocal compression, the tempo and tightness all l lend to this album sounding too cohesive.

you could tell me most of these songs were released this year and i would probably believe you. insanely influential and ahead of its time.

Great intro to punk pop and life around 2001.

Love this album - can't believe it is over 20 years old. I feel ancient... Such a good sound - forgot there are some good songs on here other than just the hits.

6th January 2023 Actually listened a few times throughout the day it’s that good. Lunch out in Cheltenham, kingsholm in the evening with Thom Warren. It’s just too good. Tight, muscular, every song is a banger.

A bit boring, I really don't like this vocal style

nah man this album is fucking perfect i'm sorry my fav nepo baby i love u julian

All time classic the strokes sound. makes me want to live in new york

Good album similar to what I listen to and very era appropriate

A bunch of trust fund kids shouldn’t be able to make music this rough and rebellious, but somehow they hit the sweet spot. New York City Cops kicks ass.

Some albums just take you back.

The album that changed 00’s music and culture for the better, one of my all time favourite bands, this is a perfect album. One of my all time favourites.

In a way, this album is much like Marquee Moon: supposedly genre-changing/defining and an alleged classic. Also, just like Marquee Moon, to my mind this is a hugely overrated album. It's good, but it's not that good.

I had this on CD in high school when they first arrived. Even then I only liked a few songs and felt a lot was just ok or outright boring. My opinion hasn't really changed in 20 years. Someday is a real gem but nothing else is quite on that level. If someone was playing this album I wouldn't object, but I doubt I'd ever play other on my own.

Meh

classic 2000s

Джулиан Касабланкас универсальный и крутой артист, это их магнум опус, на пару с альбомом 2020 года, который я у меня тоже в топ-3 альбомов того года, просто альбом без скипов который можно врубить и не выключать. Лучшие песни: Is This It, The Modern Age, Someday, Last Nite, Trying Your Luck

god this album is so good no misses what’s left to say. Every week / month I change my favourite songs but best tracks: New York City cops, last nite, trying your luck

Malgré le fait que l'écoute de cet album aie été la toute première sur mon nouveau casque Sony WH-1000xm5 (et non pas WH-1000xm4 comme je l'annonçais il y a quelques jours), cedit appareil ne créa aucun miracle. Les Strokes devront faire un peu mieux s'ils veulent vraiment m'impressionner.

Comme prévu, mon petit groupe fétiche des Strokes vient nous proposer une performance de haute volée. Robert n'est donc plus capable de nous surprendre, les seuls bons membres du générateurs nous étant déjà trop bien connus.

Ik hoor hier dus echt niks bijzonders aan. Dun geluid, geen enkele attentiewaarde. Als je me had verteld 'dit is een oud demo-casettebandje van een Gorcums schoolbandje' had ik het ook geloofd.

Ik hoor vooral jaren '70 invloeden. Prima natuurlijk, mits je die kwaliteit tenminste weet te evenaren. Dat is bij lange na niet gelukt. De huilerige britpop-zang van de jaren '90 doet sterk afbreuk aan een aardige muzikale basis.

Een van mijn favoriete albums van de 00s. Fijne basloopjes, geinige gitaarriffjes, karakteristieke zang (zonder op Elvis Costello te lijken).

It’s arguably one of the most influential debut albums of all time and gave rock music a much needed revival. Definitely one of my favourites.

A classic.

9/10 Love The Strokes

Ugh. I have always hated this band. I was real bummed to get this one. I disliked the entire listen.

I like this. I wasn't quite sure at first, but it's good stuff.

At first listen, the best I could say was that I didn't hate it. During the second listen, I warmed up a bit and found some catchy moments. Maybe I should I have stopped there, because on the third listen I was kind of back to just not hating it. (Shrug)

I did not find this particularly interesting.

I encountered this album a number of years ago, and purchased it before I had access to a music streaming service. I haven't listened to it often enough apparently to recognize all the songs, but I do recognize and like many of them. Glad to have this emerge from the fog of the past as I very much enjoy this album!

This record changed my life. I listen to it once a week and it always makes me happy.

yes

fadinho tri, das antiga já

Understandably a good album, not for me

Hace mucho que no lo escuchaba :')

Feels overproduced to sound live, catchy and infectious the more you listen

Heerlijk. album vol bangers, doet me beetje denken aan eerste album van artic monkeys

I was never a fan of the sort of lo-fi sound The Strokes and bands of that ilk produced, catchy in places but nothing properly resonated with me or left a lasting impression.

This is a really tidy, really tight 35 minute album. Everyone knows Last Nite, I didn't know anything else other than that and Someday, and really enjoyed this. Another 4/5 (not sure I've given 2 in a row before!), missing a bit of variety that might lift it up to a 5 but it's really good 2000s guitar music and clearly an inspiration for a lot that came after it in the mid-00s.

Fine but mostly forgettable

Pretty good record! Fixed a lot of guitars for these guys!

It was alright

Catchy melodies and minimalist arrangements make for concise songcraft. 'Is This It' and 'When It Started' are both bass-heavy favorites.

let's see. 3 is my defautl assumption. fast and catchy but not especially memorable.

Reminds me of college days. good times but i didn't like this back then. love it now

Is this what I think it is? Is This It?? There's no way... back-to-back 5's? I have been blessed by the album generator gods. I suspected I'd love this album even though I've never actually fully listened through it until today. I'm a fan of the newest Strokes album and this one lived up to the hype. The songs are very simple and warm, but incredibly catchy and just fun to listen to. I also love the rawness that every song has, as if the band just casually walked into the studio and recorded each in a single take with little manipulation or engineering needed. My only complaint is minor and it is that I wish the vocals were not always so muffled. I would've preferred if they were more in the forefront I think. 9/10

I enjoyed this album a lot, especially the vocals.

classic

Album fucking rules. Favorite track: Alone, Together

The whole is better than some of its parts. A nice nifty album that doesn't overstay its welcome.

Really do not understand the fuzz about them, live they were also just okay.

Great rocker. Enjoy putting this on to rock out.

Just not for me

Not as memorable as I remembered it to be, but still a solid debut. I never noticed that the whole record goes just for about 35 minutes!!! Back in the day it felt longer. Although I personally much prefer Room On Fire, Is This It will always have a soft spot in my heart for being one of the records that introduced me to garage rock.

The album was alright. A couple of well known songs and it did not drag on. A lot of the songs sounded very similar. It may have the genre as indie but It is not full blown indie which is helpful. It is better than a 3 not really a 4 but it is a close call. I will round down.

rich kids doing garage rock, yawn

Release the butt cover in the US

Meh

Instant classic Fav: someday, is this it

Absolute belter from start to finish. Undeniably now a ‘classic’ and the quintessential early 00s ‘New York’ band. Shame they influenced so much shit in the mid 00s (although some of the blame must lie with the Libertines…) but they can be forgiven. Tomorrow’s album wont be as good as this.

Pure 00s indie nostalgia. Never actually listened to the album but half the album was singles so felt very familiar. Enjoyed it, started slow and a lot of the tracks are understated but by the end of most of them I was on board.

After a recommendation from a renowned music journalist, listened properly to the second half of the album. Four stars for that part, two for the first half.

Just like the name of the first track I also wondered "is this it?". That's a bit harsh because I did enjoy more than I disliked. I thought "Someday", "Last Nite", "Hard To Explain" and "Take It Or Leave It" were the best tracks.

Amazing album with a distinctive sound. Released in the early 2000s when a lot of these albums are going to be nostalgic for me. "Last nite" rivals "Mr brightside" in the played to death category but the album has so many other great songs Gets better as it goes on. Hard to explain, new York city cops, trying your luck and take it or leave it are all great

I really liked this album. It hit the perfect mix of grunge and almost every song had an excellent bass line. While I wouldn’t expect everyone to like it, I can see myself listening to it again and again

This was a close one. Nostalgia gives bonus to 4.

punchy, iconic, and rooted in too cool for you vibes, impeccable album that can't be captured again

Very good, definitely a few stand out songs and a few meh ones. Not particularly consistent but very good overall.

Obviously really liked "Last Nite", but didn't recognize any of the others. Overall pretty good, though also kinda fell to the background.

Not terrible. Felt like generic indie radio music though.

This is almost a 5 for me if you put it in the context of 2001 — a year when Nickleback, Kid Rock, and Creed all and top 25 albums. Being in high school at the time, this was a first sign that music was going to get better.

It's not great, it's not bad, but definitely stale.

4/5. Just a great pop album. Some skippable songs but last nite and someday are classics. Recommended for all.

Instant 5 Star album! "Is This It" - A good LoFi sounding indie song with a very rounded bass sound that cuts through the faded sound of the rest of the song quite well. "The Modern Age" - A good song but certainly not my favorite on the album. "Soma" - I think this is a bit of an underrated song on the album. A very good intro though the rest leaves a tiny bit to be desired. "Barely Legal" - A really good song and I like the guitar on the bridge and the bass work. The chorus guitar work is not my favorite though. "Someday" - My personal favorite song on the album. It is an all time classic indie rock song that I listen to on a regular basis. "Alone, Together" - In terms of deep cut tracks this is the one I would say is the best. "Last Nite" - Another all time indie rock classic. While the most popular it is not the best to me. It is a great song with so much good energy to it. "Hard To Explain" - My number 2 track on the album I would say. It is nice and bouncy making for a good listen. "New York City Cops" - A good song that has a wonderfully accurate political message to it that sadly is still too accurate 21 years later. "Trying Your Luck" - This is a lot more chill than the rest of the album which is also a good thing for me. It is one of the tracks that I notice more of the lyricism on. Also really good sounding bass and a nice chunky guitar tone. "Take It Or Leave It" - Good song, but not my personal favorite song but has good energy. I would like it more a little higher in the track listing to end the album on the chill of the previous track, but that's just personal preference. An all time classic album and one of my personal favorites!

Think I'll stay on the fence a little longer. There's lots to like - from the ragged tunings to the bratty vocals to the "this'll do" attitude to hooks - but none of it grabs me and won't let go.

Hyvä albumi, hauska fiilis tuli ku kuunteli.. kutkutti...Ei muuta.. Parempaakin on.. Kuitenkin albumissa kivoja mielentiloja.. Ihan kiinnostava.. pistän arvosanaaksi kaakkosen..

Most of what makes this album so special is that "no fucks given" attitude that so much of the NYC art scene breeds. 4.5/5

There's a lot of sameness all the way through this album, but I still really enjoyed it. No real "wow" moments, but it was still a step above.

Much better than expected. This album kind of sneaked by me in the early 2000s and I never heard it other than their radio hits, which I always enjoyed. This album was pretty darn good and I'm disappointed in myself for not listening to it before now.

Sound like 1982!!!

Az ciezko pomyslec, ze dopiero teraz trafilo sie cos od the strokes, album ktory ciezko zapomniec, nie tylko ze wzgledu na charakterystycznie piekne ksztalty na okladce, ktore hamerykanow wprowadzaly w zgorszenie, ale jest to chyba jeden z moich ulubionych krazkow jesli chodzi indyjskie granie z wczesnych lat 2k, piecoosobowy sklad pokazal na tym 35 minutowym materiale pokazal jak szeroko potrafia zagrac, calosc jest mocno szorstkim brzmiacym garazowo miksem, wiec nie brakuje tutaj gitarowych solowek Valensi i Hammonda, do tego drumowanie metronomowe robiace tlo dla gitar i poteznego basiora oraz charyzmatyczne wokale pana Casablancasa, ktory rowniez odpowiada za teksty wszystkich utworow, to dostajemy mocno sluchalny zestaw, ktory dodatkowo jak dla mnie jest ubrany w najdrozsze odzienia, bo dobre wspomnienia, album od mlodych ludzi o mlodych ludziach dla mlodych ludzi, na plejke nie dodam nic wiecej, bo i tak polowa albumu tam siedzi, ale hajlajtowymi trakami sa dla mnie last nite, take or leave it i someday, ale 11 kawalkow na plycie sprawia, ze nie ma tutaj zadnych filerow, a jedynie mocno wypchany materialem krazek, jak przystalo na rokowe debiuty

enjoyed it, still am

This one’s a favorite. Saw them open for the chili peppers a few weeks ago and was super impressed too.

Bra 7/10

Last night is the stand out track here. The album is not offensive, some of the baselines are catchy, but the relentlessly strummy guitar coupled with showboat electrics gets dull real fast. Strum strum strum. Yawn.

The most popular album I've heard yet.

Favourite song: Someday One for the karaoke: Last Night One for the car: Hard To Explain Classic

On a recent night out a drunkard made it clear to me that he thinks i'm a closet homosexual. He and a few other people i know really like this album, but i'm not really into it. Think the album cover is a bit dull and could be more flamboyant. Favourite song - Take it or leave it. One to sing in the shower - Last Nite Can't say there are any real stinkers.

It’s happened. It’s a big day. This album is one I have listened to so many times but I still wanted to make sure it warranted 5 stars. I listened to it 3 times yesterday, one of them basically reading the lyrics on Spotify and I am comfortable in saying that this album is a certified banger. Favourite song - Barely Legal One for karaoke - Someday One for a run - Last Nite What a debut album. I don’t think Mojo would be the same bar without some of these songs.

Good good good

This band completely missed my radar duri g their early days, but I really like their sound. A notch above the rest of the early 2000s rock bands that all kinda sound similar. But this was totally enjoyable start to finish.

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

Fun, catchy rock 'n roll. Didn't realize how many songs on this album I was already familiar with. New York City Cops bangs. Will give 4 stars because I'm having fun and I like simple rock 'n roll despite that these are New York rich kids making a commercial version of the kind of music created by punks and legit bohemians at CBGBs in the 70's

I'm bored, but it's better than Arcade Fire. Should have rated that a 1. This is a 2/5 for me.

What an iconic album.

A bit same but I think this captures the early 2000s zeitgeist well. There are at least two amazing songs on this one.

On the first play through I didn't think much of this one, but the second time around I enjoyed it more. Apparently these guys are super influential, which no doubt contributes to their placement on the list. By the end of the album the chugging 8th-note rhythms, at first energetic and fun, got a bit wearing. But the first side had more variety, and some great bass parts, which I enjoyed. I don't remember finding any of the lyrics particularly engaging.

I think I came across Last Nite on a compilation CD that came free with a magazine, and was so taken with it that I got a copy of this album & have always loved it. It still sounds fresh to me. The title track is one of the great openings to any album. I love the way the song opens, and, in fact, so many of these songs have great openings, that inevitably suck you in. No point selecting favourites here, I love them all.

I always thought that the Strokes were over-hyped. Saviours of rock and roll or last of faux rock attitude by a bunch of over-privileged white guys squandering their talents on drugs and shagging models? The band has some rock chops, and they look great in skinny jeans. They are very stylish, but I find the vocals distant and aloof (not helped by the compressed and slightly distorted effect, apparently from singing through a Peavy practice amp). This just seems pretentious, guys. And is their rock and roll attitude just a marketing ploy to make them seem edgy, when they really were just privileged careerist muso types? They removed the song "New York City Cops" (one of the few tracks on this album that I really like) after 9/11 out of a supposedly new-found respect for said NYC cops. They changed the cover art of the album because it was too racy for Walmart. Their rock and roll image just seems like a bit of faux-rebellious posturing to me. When it comes down to it, I feel like I have heard it before and better. I get that every generation needs its own rock gods, and the Strokes were it for a certain generation. But the songs don't live up to the incessant critical hype. This is probably really a three star album, but the hype has always annoyed me, and I feel like they never really delivered. So, one star off for that.

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.

I didn't really enjoy it that much.

Fun to listen to. Vocals got a bit annoying after a while but overall very enjoyable.

Bad blend of the white stripes and the smiths. His vocals are good in the gritty moments otherwise annoying. Very good at writing catchy songs not my style.

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.

Very solid and definitely love the Strokes early stuff

Nem consegui chegar no hit. Certamente tem sua importância, só não é para mim.

Great

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.

Is That It? How disappointing. Maybe too iconic to live up to the hype. I know it’s cool not to care but they sound bored of their own songs. I don’t like Iggy Pop, I don’t like this. (Last Nite is a great tune though).

Combination of somewhat simple yet catchy guitar riffs with intensive and often distorted Julian's vocals work very well. Title song and Soma stood out.

Heard

meh, it's ok

I love The Strokes. My first purchase at the Hollywood Amoeba store was this vinyl. I love this album honestly 9/10

df

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

Loving “Is This It” and “Soma”. Pretty happy with the rest as well.

I know it's been hyped and over-celebrated and it's not entirely original but it's a breath of fresh air to me. This is exactly the kind of sound I like. Cool neat tunes in a 'back-to-basics' format. So assured and authentic. This is it.

This is a great album but I still don’t think it is as groundbreaking or important as many say it is. The vocals on many songs become grating because of the effects added to his voice. The upbeat songs are bangers but the rest becomes muddled and kind of boring.

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

Good listen all the way through

This was a bright spark amongst a lot of dross on release. Still got a decent energy to it, but perhaps seemed better than it was due to lack of anything much else worth listening to at the time. Still enjoyed its chugging along today.

Really cool album. Feel like it has influenced a lot of punk or indie.

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.

This album strikes a perfect rock/punk/pop balance for me. Melodic but also grungy, like Nirvana filtered through some happymaking drugs. Aptly titled Soma is a standout, makes me want to jump back and forth with a grin on my face. And Last Nite is one of those songs that puts my awe up to 11 with how much they do with so little.

Scissor lean songwriting and perfect guitar-bass-guitar interplay. Every instrument has a job with brooding croons as the perfect juxtaposition.

Album was fine. I wouldn't complain if someone put it in at a party but i won't be listening to it again. Felt like the tracklist was severely lacking in diversity.

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.

Very good, love the various Sonority that makes it less of a generic rock album... Exactly what I would expect from the strokes

Perfect use of distortion. Best track: Last Nite

Flott, indírokk? Einn smellur.

Enjoyed this, even not being a Strokes fan. Love the guitar work and the driving rhythms.

A solid album!

Best Song: Last Nite. Sure, it's the most famous from the album, but it feels justified here. The way, as the song progresses, the line "Last Nite" starts to feel like it's being torn out of him. A truly melancholy dance song. Worst Song: Take It Or Leave It. I dig the vocals here, but the instrumentals seem to be turned too quiet, and don't quite match the vocal intensity. Overall: This is what alt rock should be. Musically talented, with this unique sound that doesn't fit the more classic rock sound. That raw, slightly degraded audio quality, particular on the vocals, gives the whole album a garage feel. Each song is as short as it needs to be, and full of hooks.

I liked This Is It, Barely Legal, and Take It or Leave It. Never really listened to those before.

One of my favorite garage albums of that movement. An essential piece of 2000’s rock. I love this album. Gritty yet flashy. Simple and straightforward. Exactly what rock n roll should be.

4/5 Great album. Thoroughly enjoyed it and it’s vibe. This was the first one of these I would say I needed to listen to before I died.

A solid album. Enjoyed “someday” the most.

Banger absolu

A great album, they have such an iconic sound, and this album is holding up well to my ear.

I remember when The Modern Age EP came out it went through the college town I lived in like wildfire. By the time this album was released we were in a fever pitch of excitement, and, when they finally came through on tour, it seemed like the whole town had a collective orgasm. I think Julian Casablancas described it really well when he said they sound like a band from the past who took a time machine to the future to make a record. More specifically they sound like a New Wave Velvet Underground to me. Similar to many other bands of the era (White Stripes, et al.), they weren't doing anything radically new per se, just putting the pieces together in a new and novel order. Like an irresistible sort of processed food that has refined their formula to become completely addictive. The hype surrounding them was enormous. So big that it was inevitably unsustainable. After they came through on tour and we all had our collective orgasm on that one night stand, it never felt quite the same again. At the time I was convinced the album title was a reference specifically to the impossible-to-live-up-to hype that surrounded them and I thought it was quite a clever way to address it. Is This It? Indeed it really was that simple. But man they really caught lightning in a bottle here and I was deliriously giddy being swept up in Strokes mania.

The production of "a band that is from the past transported to make a record today" works very well for me. I love the garage-rock/lofi aesthetic and the heavy distorted vocals are completely in my wheelhouse. Lots of the songs are kind of perfect indie-guitar-pop of the 2000s, if you wanted to know what indie-rock in 00s is, I'd point you here. Not a single back track, really.

takes some time to really get into it

披头士类型的复古轻快摇滚

Great album, very balanced and probably one of their best

No filler, all good upbeat songs. Slightly repetitive, but that it kind of the style of the era and the band.

Let me get my snarky, probably-not-original joke out of the way real quick: "Is This It?" Yeah, I guess it is. Anyway, I recently finished "Meet Me In the Bathroom" by Elizabeth Goodman recently (fantastic, by the way), and it's a great oral history of the period of rock-music-history that helped to create this record. People were *hyped* for this thing, and it ended up getting a lot of other NYC based bands signed as well. As for my personal opinions? It's fine. The guitars on the record are great, but for an album surrounded by such rock mythos, apparently created while the members were living the true rock-and-roll lifestyle, it's actually kind of subdued. It gets some more pulse later in the record, but that's on the very last track. I've never really seen what the deal is about the Strokes, and this hasn't done all that much to change my mind. Favorite track: "Hard To Explain"

Masterpiece

A lot to say about this record. It obviously held a prominent spot in my life when It was released when I was a 17 year old. I owned it and played it constantly just like everyone else I knew. It made an indelible mark on that time of my life. I probably have not listened to the full record in 20 years now. It still sounds great, both from just a straight pop pseudo Lou Reed sound and from a production standpoint. I'm wringing my hands over all of the knee-jerk bullshit reactionary decisions to 9/11. I fully remember the album art change, whatever that's fine. American's and their puritanical bullshit. But the removal of "New York City Cops" for only the US CD version is just maddening dumb. It's especially dumb that this is the only version the change was made on. The US Vinyl and every single international release contained the correct original track listing. However, for some reason the US CD version has seemingly become the definitive version as it's what all the streaming services carry. Just fucking sickening.

Funnily enough I hadn't heard this Strokes album out of their other ones, so it's a trip hearing how this is their best one. I think it's a really fun listen though I've grown to like their other works more. Still, I wanna come back to this sometime.

Love this record

This is a favorite of mine so I'm a bit biased. Easy 5/5 Stars. One of if not the best album of the 2000s

Hahaha this being the first album is amazing… all time classic, love the strokes

Many hits I already knew, a solid album to listen from beginning to end

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.

For an album of not much more than half an hour in length, it really does drag. 20 seconds worth of musical ideas are dragged out to minutes and the vocals are really uninvolving. Disappointing.

Three good songs buried in mediocre. Less than the sum of its parts.

yes, that was it

At once gritty and urbane, the record does pretty well in living up to considerable hype. One could make a case it's all an algorithm (plus, maybe, a hologram) of VU updated to early oughts. Three great songs on the back side, more than make up for the samey effect on first side. Remains solid and enjoyable which is more than can be said of many other a next big thing.

En vaan tykkää Julian casablancasin äänestä, ainakaan tällä raspitehosteella.

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

Amazing era defining album probably a 4.5 but rounded up to a 5

This is a great rock album. Adds to the canon and still feels exciting and vital today. A classic.

it's a 5. I love this album so much. This is the first album I've gotten where I probably know all the songs and a lot of the words. The fact that this is their first album and it's so perfect already is really incredible. Their sound is so nostalgic and lo fi and melodic. I love how apathetic Julian's voice is. Perfect for listening to in the car. My favs are someday, hard to explain, soma and is this it. it's main character music for a film.

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.

<3

The saviours of Indie Rock

This is good, I don’t get the rapturous reception it received but it’s good

Great album.

Por algo los llaman "los salvadores del rock", simplemente espectacular

p874. 2001. 2 stars Velvet Underground wannabees without the style or the substance. Great album cover though.

Love it

Svaret på sidners dilemma… en fyra

Obviously a modern classic, essential listening, must hear before you die etc. etc. I personally prefer Room On Fire

Kan tänka mig få bättre pop-skivor...

Damn good album from beginning to end

Greatest Debut album ever and one of the greatest ever 10/10

LOVEEE the vibe

Cool cat vibes

Not so bad but it's not the kind of music i like.

Good album! Fun tunes.

Forgot how much I loved this album. Still a good one

This album got me through an awkward summer in college. Wholeheartedly in love with this one, and the songs are so catchy and fun.

A great rock album! Straight forward, classic guitar tones, lots of energy and fun!

Fierce. A classic addition to the NYC lexicon of rock and roll.

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

Listened to at some point 4.5/5 Favorite song: last nite I love the early 2000s and this song was SUCH a bop

One of the greatest rock albums of the 20th century. So strong from beginning to end with multiple modern classics. So hard to pick between Last Nite and Someday for favorite tune, but I’ll give the edge to Someday.

Short and sweet. Little repetitive and mopey

Rich boys pretend to be a scuzzy garage band and pull it off with aplomb. Yeah, you can barely understand the lyrics but that adds to the charm. Wailing guitar solos, motorik drums and tunes that bury themselves in your ear as if you're wearing the helmet for Wrath of Khan. All that and a possible reference to Spinal Tap on the cover? What a debut! Best Tracks: Someday; Last Nite; Hard To Explain

its allright

Solid modern classic rock album.

Sometimes just when you think rock 'n roll is dead an album appears that shows that it is alive and kicking. " Is This It" is such an album. Fantastic songs, lyrics performance and that bit of "je ne sais quoi " that makes it a classic album.

This album is refreshing and repetitive in the same proportion. I enjoyed it, and I'm annoyed by the similar songs around the whole thing. Overall, from my perspective, this is an excellent Strokes' album, but it's far from their best.

The Strokes were the freshest thing to happen to the early noughties, and after a few albums I thought that's where they left it..... but apparently they're still going and just not particularly relevant any more. Anyway back to this album, spiky, jangly, great style, great attitude......naughty cover art. It was great!

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.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Is this it, Someday, Alone together, Last nite, Hard to explain, New York City cops, Take it or leave it

Fine album that I've liked since it was released. Lots of hi-lights; Last Night, New York City Cops and my favorite Take it or Leave it. A really strong debut album. 4.5 🌟

I liked this one. It was pretty interesting how it simultaneously sounds reminiscent of old-school garage rock and of modern day alternative rock - despite falling in between the two eras. Actually a 3.5, but rounding up because I like it better than the previous two 3's.

Did not like

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.

Crazy, just a couple days ago I was telling some people how I don't know any Strokes songs (beside Reptilia) and realized I probably need to listen to their stuff a bit more. Excellent timing. I really enjoyed this album, more than I thought I would. I didn't find much enjoyment in some of their newer albums I've heard, but this one is strong. Very fun little rock album here, some nice melodies. Favorite tracks: Someday, Alone Together, Last Nite. Album art: There's two for this one, the apparent naked woman profile (though if Ebaum's World taught me anything, that could be an armpit), and the yellow and blue intricate art one. I don't know which is more iconic, I've personally seen both enough that I thought they were two different albums. I think I prefer the US release, the blue and yellow one. The colors and the design just pop, much more so than a black and white hip. 4/5

Fun album that races along. Two hits (Last Nite and Someday) that I knew already, but a couple of new discoveries here too.

This sounds a lot thinner to me than it once did - I remember hearing this for the first time and it was like a life preserver in a sea of shit. But some very simple, catchy rock, sort of on the order of The Cars, maybe. It cut through everything else that was going on and think what was going on was sort of a Limp Bizkit / Boyband / Sleaze techno phase. So anyway, this was better than that. Still very listenable - I don't know if there's a track on here that doesn't hook me at one point or another. But I have no idea what this guy is singing about, so... I'll still give it 4 stars because I'd listen all the way through.

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.

Great slice of rock. Really enjoyed it.

I remember when this album came out. It sort of seemed like rock and roll was dead, and then this album came out and it was like, not quite dead yet! (Of course, it has since died, but it was nice to have this brief glimmer of life.) This is really a pretty amazing debut album, taking elements of punk, indie, 80's alternative, Velvet Underground, and all sorts of other stuff and putting it all together in a really enjoyable way. 5 stars.

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

Eh. Fine.

grandeee strokes é isso aí

Liked it but didn't love it.

Very nice.

Enjoyable album. Some of the tracks have been spoiled a little for me by being played at shitty clubnights

Muito bom.

Poppy and a fun album.

I love 90s/00s alt rock so this should be a no brainer for me. And while the album is great it just never clicked with me to the same degree as some album from that genre from that time period.

Snotty trust-fund jerks make good.

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.

EU CONHECIAAAA MT BOOOM melhor que o de ontem

One of my all time favorites

Love this lo-fi, garage rock meets pop sound. Haven't listened to the Strokes in a long time and am having fun digging back into this era and genre.

Haven't listened to this in forever. I really really enjoyed the relisten though. 5/5

Never really dug deep in The Strokes apart from loving the shit out of "Juicebox" but this is really good. Thought the start of the album took a little to take off, but after that it was one great song after the other.

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

big fan

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

Still as fresh as ever. One of my all time favourites. I never tire of it. Cover art: 5/5

Solid indie/garage album. This is definitely the best of the Strokes on this one, it is unfortunate that they peaked so early. The guitar riffs on this album are muddled up nicely through distortion effects and the vocals are produced to match that feel. Fave tracks: Last Nite, New York City Cops

What a momentous debut. Everything about this album is iconic: the catchy songwriting, the crunchy and well mixed instruments and Julian Casablancas signature vocal distortions. It sounds phenomenal. I think this album pretty much single-highhandedly kicked off the indie rock movement that is still going to this day. I won't continue to gush, but I think it suffices to say that yes, this is it.

lyrics are somewhat puzzling

first time listening to the strokes and i am a new fan! i admittedly don't know much about the garage band revival scene, but i found them much easier and enjoyable to listen to than other bands of this time. the vocals, surprisingly, are clear despite fogginess. every song starts off strong and unique, and begs your attention. i'm obsessed with this album cover. black and white, sensual, daring.

I love The Strokes' vocals -- they've always got a bit of that trademark cool distortion, but never at the expense of actually understanding the lyrics. A lot of the instrumentation of the album feels simple and muted, but the album does not suffer for it; it allows the catchy rhythms of these songs to shine and when great guitar solos crop up, they're all the more stand-out due to the lack of overcomplicated music. The songs are short and sweet and to the point. There is something to be said about music that is not unnecessarily repetitive with its bridges and chorus. Looking back at this album in 2022, the sound and style that is present on this album was clearly setting a standard, as many indie rock bands in the 2000s and even 2010s would go on to use this as their guiding light. Definitely a defining moment in rock music. Simply put, The Strokes are just effortlessly cool on this album.

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

One of this big bands I never truly checked out, and what a shame. They have a unique sound and each song follows a formula I tend to enjoy.

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

Хороший британский рок. Не больше, не меньше. Наверно, всю гениальность The Strokes я так и не понял. Они не стали значимой группой для меня, но некоторые песни мне нравятся и заходят под настроение. 6 из 10

good

Good bass Weird voice Good overall

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

I have no idea why I like this album so much. The Strokes are a band that I should not like (their style, genre, etc. are all things that don't usually work for me). I don't know if it's nostalgia or what, but I love this album.

This came close to a 5*. I’d say it’s a true 4.5 but couldn’t round up. Good collection of songs with a couple of pure bangers! Very enjoyable

Really enjoyed the guitar riffs in a lot of songs. The vocals aren’t my favorite but I get why they fit with this style. Listened to it twice through since it’s so short!

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.

This was terrible. Just a bunch of unpleasant noise being shouted at the mic or something. I don't know, I tuned out the majority of the album because it was not fun to listen to.

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

So new... so hip... so melodic... Last Nite just pure rocks out.

A really solid album, that is great straight ahead rock with punk and indie influence. It sounds much more mature than a debut album. Hard to explain is great. Very enjoyable.

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.

How incredibly bland of instantly forgettable.

I really like this album, not their best in my opinion but certainly an iconic one with that album cover.

Don’t listen to me. This album has insane nostalgia armor. This album gets to my feels like few others. Take It or Leave It is one of the greatest songs ever.

Four stars and half An all-time classic, and an album which still holds its own two decades after it was released. As is usually the case with those classic albums, I won't write a full-blown review here given that others have already written wonderful stuff about them and there's not much I can add that I feel could be relevant and interesting. *Is This It* is just a timeless gem aimed at anyone who's into rock at large. Go and listen to this record a.s.a.p. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 956 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 20 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 8 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important to me): 14 Albums I might not be the best person to judge, but that I *might* include in my final list: 3.

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.

Their playing is a bit simplistic so I can't include this with the great works of musical art, even if those in the biz believe the album helped saved alternative rock. It's really not clear to me how good they are as musicians (though some deft guitar work and solos on The Modern Age). I'm amazed every time I think they have two guitarists; it sounds much simpler than that although yeah I can hear the two distinct styles when I listen closely. Still it's a fun album (loved the free-styling at the start of New York City Cops), an easy enjoyable listen, and includes some well-arranged stylings (bass lines kick ass in most songs) despite the simplicity. Easy to put on repeat and not get annoyed.

Genre de rock punk debut 2000, vraiment pas trop mon genre mais. Ertaines tounes pas pire. 2,85

It took me back to the early 2000s! A great album!

I was excited to listen to this, since I had never listened to The Stokes and wanted to check it out. The first three songs were promising, but that was short lived. I found the other songs repetitive and not very original. I’d be curious to listen to a different album to see if I get a different vibe.

Man, this takes me back to the end of college days. Great album.

literally worn out the cd when this came out. They were never again this good.

I love this band and I love their songs. I like that their sound is consistent.

Good aye, would get a 4.5 if that was a thing but I'll be generous. Lotta nostalgia off of Someday and it's sent me into a spiral over the last few days of early 00s (slightly indie) pop

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

This came out a year or two before I properly started following indie music so I can't verify exactly how huge its influence was, but I'm willing to believe it was pretty big - its presence certainly loomed large in my school & uni years. The languid Is This It and the sprightly Someday are my two highlights, though listening back now there are a few forgettable tracks that I can *ahem* 'take or leave'. The difference in quality between this and their later albums isn't as great as common opinion says, IMO. Still, it's worth at least 4 stars.

They are good at doing what they do. Great album. Always wondered why they spelled "nite" like that

Solid album. Classic and has quite a few bangers. I’m insanely drunk rn

The two things I remember when this album came out were that The Strokes were "The Next Big Band", the next Velvet Underground, all the critic's darlings, and the Controversy: they had to change the album cover for the North Amercan release (original shown below) and they had to remove the song "New York City Cops" due its content towards the police, and its release a month after 9/11/2001. Too bad that song rocks. This album took a beating during the Sync Listen. Some of it deserved; this album is purposely under produced (it didn't need to be). Are they garage just to be garage? Simplistic songs...the bands going through the motions. Leader singer Julian Casablancas sounds bored most of the time. But I would argue to the greatness of this album. Their singer has a unique, almost-Emo, style of going soft(sounding bored)- loud (screaming)-soft. The songs are simplistic; only three or four songs have guitar solos, that I heard, but the guitar sound is great. Otherwise, both guitarist are playing rhythm...if you see them live their interplay is incredible and a major strength of the band. Yet simplistic, there are no bad songs on this album and each song is unique. Most songs are about relationships. There were three songs released as singles, all still pretty much staples on rock radio: "Last Night", "Hard to Explain" and "Someday." My two favorite songs are "Alone, Together" with a great guitar solo and, especially, "Take it or Leave It" where the band picks up the pace and Casablancas sings with an urgency throughout which he doesn't do on any other song.

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

descoberta interessante

🤷

ta guardado no corazão esse não tem jeito

Not really my cup of tea

it's a worldy. its still up there as one of my most listened to albums and even if casablancasaurus ends up being a wrong 'un it'll keep being played a la the smiths. A shining glimmer of pure brilliance that lifted us up from the shite music of the time and sparked something new and exciting. wheras the rest of the scene that this album almost single handedly created is now terribly dated and derided this album still sits up at the top table. Most albums that I loved back in the day and still listen to are mainly for the nostalgia and listening to that music puts me in a place in time in my life and it feels like you were back there. this album is totally different, it is still so fresh and perfectly formed that it works for now and even though it is such a core root of my musical listening it isn't attached to any specific time and place. so in short this is timeless.