Is This It

Tinny garage rock that is a little too laid-back for my taste. I want my garage rock to sound like any minute the cops are going to show up.

In 2001, you would have thought these guys invented garage rock based on the press. I can't be that much of a sourpuss though, goes pretty good for a bunch of rich boys. Also, major points for being big GBV fans.

Makes me want to give myself a Cobain Haircut

I mean, really great. You can hear the influences all the way back to the late 60's and they'll be playing this one for another 50 years. 4.

Pretty nice

i think that this album being the face of New York City indie rock of its era does it a disservice, because it makes me feel like i'm negative for just enjoying it and not being infatuated with it. but it's good and deliberate and has a lovely tinge of melancholy to it. deserves to be one of the 1001? i mean it does yea

Three or four great tracks but the rest of it is so damn boring I can't possibly rate it higher than this

++: The Modern Age, Soma, Someday, Last Nite, New York City Cops +: Is This It, Alone, Together, Hard to Explain, Take It or Leave It +-: Barely Legal, Trying Your Luck 7,3/10

I never understood the hype. The distorted vocals are awful. The riffs are basic and the drumming is weak

Doesn’t hit as hard as I was hoping it would. Still full of bangers. Should relisten properly. RYM: Y (#95) Saved a song: N

This album was an album that was pivotal for that late 90s-2000s garage rock revival sound. The vocals kind of remind of like a Joe Strummer/Shane McGowan sort of raspiness and drawl, and that telephone and EQ it has screaming indie at us all. The bass playing is very colourful and quite active (notably in "Is This It" and "New York City Cops".) The guitar is quite jangly and flowing, sounding playful sometimes. The drums manage to serve the songs pretty well and never overpower other aspects of the album. The songwriting I believe is pretty good, even though it's mostly about cheesy topics. I think this album is really good and should be heard by everybody. I believe this does deserve a place on the must-hear list. Highlight Song/s: "Is This It", "Barely Legal", "Last Nite" and "Hard To Explain"

The Strokes are an iconic band of the 2000's indie rock scene, and this is probably their best-known album. It has several classics on it, and the rest are interesting and fun to listen to as well. It got a couple of listens yesterday, and the nos of approval from the family (indie rock is probably the intersection of our family Venn diagram circles). So, I think it sneaks a 4 stars from me.

Not as impactful as I remembered it to be. The tracks were fine even with the odd vocal effects they use. But that was it, just fine and didn't get me looking forward to the next track. Nothing particular wrong about it, 3

Great album, I have a friend who’s a huge fan of these guys so my expectations were a bit high going in. They’re great :)

Is This It? Hard To Explain

IM A CERTIFIED STROOOKKEEERRRRRRRR

Nice!

Millennial must 5

Favourite Songs: Hard To Explain

Не моё, даже половину не дослушаю. Гитары очень крутые по атмосфере, но вокал убивает от безвкусия

From one of the first classic Garage Rock albums yesterday with The Sonics to one of the best ever with The Strokes. Love this album, every track is a cracker. This Is It was a breath of fresh air in 2001 leading to countless imitators.

Excelente álbum debut. La banda establece su sonido distintivo y te transmite lo que quieren decir. Hay canciones más flojas y algunas más fuertes pero pesan mas las fuertes. Mejor canción: Hard to explain

Disco que tiene todos temones. Fueron la base de muchísimas bandas de rock, me gusta más The new Abnormal, pero este sigue siendo un 5/5

I always felt like Is This It is a product of its time, and that it aged rapidly. It set the foundation for a lot of bands that followed, but going back to it now shows just how boring Julian's voice is, and how repetitive/simplistic the instrumentation is. It doesn't work for me over an entire album's length. Barely Legal is gross.

This is easy - I already really like all 11 songs on this one. This is a completely different album cover than what was on the CD I have. I just read they made different covers in the US and outside US. Mine has the blue and yellow/orange graphic for the US market. I got the CD because I really liked the first couple of singles and loved the whole thing since then. Then saw them in concert too and that was a great show. I'm not positive, but I think this might have been the first concert I went to after my 2nd child was born. It was that good to me that I really wanted to see them live. Listening to this front to back was very fun - I know and really like all of these songs. I also have the song "New York City Cops" liked which I now realize was only on the non-US versions of this album. Liked songs on Spotify: 11/11 (perfect album) Rating: 5/5

All the songs sound pretty similar and Julian Casablanca has Adam Levine levels of an ugly person thinking they are hot. Plus he's like a mega nepo, the whole band is way to rich to do the whole dirty leather jackets thing. I like the brevity of it, I like how the songs kinda end in the middle of themselves, it doesn't outstay it's welcome or get boring. I really like the bass lines, they make it poppy and fun. If you had some scrub sitting on the root note it wouldn't be as enjoyable. It's summery, cool and reminds me of my youth. It's pretty good, a low 4.

Banger! Gute Tracks, ein paar echte Hits, alles in allem Gut ausgewogen von den Liedern. Angenehm nicht zu viel. Nicht zu wenig interessante Einsatz von den Stimmen beziehungsweise Effekten. Auf den Stimmen kennt man ja so von den Strokes. Als Debütalbum total überragend

Rate: 100/10. JULIAN TE AMOOO GORDO no se retiren nunca.

this is good!

5/5. It’s just so much fun man. I find I often want to attribute deeper meaning and artistic merit to albums I award my great “5/5” to, but this album goes against that. I just love every song on here, plain and simple. Each track is just fun and brings me a youthful joy, carefree and happy. Julian is a very fun singer, he just sounds so cool with everything he says, it makes you forget he doesn’t know the lyrics. The guitar interplay is so simple but it’s so memorable. The rhythm section keeps everything moving without doing anything it doesn’t need to. I’ve covered multiple songs from this album with my band, and I can confirm they’re just as fun to play as they are to hear. They’re so brilliant in their simplicity that we actually shuffled this album to pick a new song to learn in an afternoon. Is this it is fun, who cares.

light alternative sorta rocks lots of mid tempo… fun and guirky lyrics: they domt take themselves too seriously…

Love this!

it is indeed it good but most songs just sound sooo similar

good stuff

Oh, the Early Aughts. What a time to be alive. 9 keepers in 11 (82%). 1 banger (9%).

I was kind of waiting for this one, and I expected this to be rather good. And honestly not dissapointed at all! Very fun, garage-like rock, easy listen for sure. And what an iconig album cover too. Probably deserving solid 4 stars. But this could never rever reach the status of greateness for me, simply because it's not at all revolutionary in any sense at all, this has all been done, but it does sound fresh which I appreciate.

meh

The Strokes had so much hype surrounding them. I remember listening to them on The End in Seattle. Last Nite was that song. I bought the CD and played it over and over. I really enjoyed listening to this again. It is a good rock album. I think it still holds up.

made me feel less depressed today lol. Really catchy hooks with a fun alt-rock voice. Whole album is kinda the same but it's good so I don't mind.

Outstanding, exceeded my expectations. Deserved all-timer, I love discovering new music to get obsessed over. Just genious from beginning to end. Try your luck and give this record a listen.

the driving beat and the way the guitar and drums work together are great

Good

I'm not sure I ever really knew their name, but I'm pretty sure I heard plenty of this album on the radio in the 2000s. And now I know who they are. What a fun, great debut from a bunch of guys inspired by 70s-era garage rock (and especially The Velvet Underground, apparently). I can also see why this album did even better in the UK than in the US, as there's a lot to The Strokes sound and style that sounds much more British than American; funny too how much they in turn inspired the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand to achieve a similar sound. I'm not sure I would have swooned over them as much as music critics did back in the day, but I'd happily listen to this album again.

Still holds up pretty well

I'm frequently late to things. I wore this album out (as much as one can wear out a collection of mp3s) round about 2013. I was heavy into the Strokes, this one in particular, for about two and a half months. This is a source of (very mild) shame for me, as a music lover. I come late to things. Hell, I still haven't been some places everyone else has been. I'm hoping, for instance, some Prince albums show up soon. I know I'll probably like em, but I'm pretty busy listening to Czarface right now (some 13 years after their debut - hey, the year I was into "Is This It!") The only worse thing is being onboard early. I'm also frequently onboard early, only to have the thing I like a) fall apart or b) start to kind of suck. Or c) everyone starts liking it and then I'm like "yeah I liked them first" and nobody cares because, like, who cares if I liked them first? Do I get a prize? Anyway, I already loved this record, but I never love loved it. You know. Some of the songs are a bit filler-y. And does Julian Casablancas have to sound like he's singing into a toaster on every song? It's a cool effect, but every song? But this is mostly great, and I enjoyed revisiting it, and revisiting that point in my life...2013, when everyone had long moved past this.

What a classic top to bottom that has aged like a fine wine. Really enjoyed this album, and it's one that I often come back to.

Decent enough alt rocknroll. Nothing out of this world but solid.

Always happy to have an excuse to listen to this! It's an album with like, at least 7 perfect pop songs, and it all sounds perfect. I really don't have anything to say about this beyond "Yeah, it's awesome"

I thought I was going to like this, but it just falls short. It was one of the worst times in rock history. Nothing great came out of it. Flat.

This makes me feel like I'm a teenage dirtbag kid in the 2000s. I can see why this album launched them into fame. The production is very indy/rock which I enjoy. However, I feel like it can get a little repetitive, so while the production is good, there's not much diversity. I liked some the ideas they explored in the songs, but idk Ive ever hundreds of songs about sex and drugs. Overall, it's not bad, but it's not my favourite: 7/10 Stand out tracks: Alone Together and Last Nite. *The lore about his dad is INSANE and also the fact that they had to change the US version kills me.

I don't hate it, and it's from the US not the UK, so that's a surprise. But it's part of a revival of rock that I never appreciated. Most of the tunes are the same, aren't they? Not bad, not great.

It's fine. All sounded about the same.

It's good. Wreaks of 2001. Didn't blow me away, but I can't imagine a world without the hits. The simple production is great. Cool, understated mix.

I've listened to like half these songs but not in a while. Obviously an important album but also just a good listen

Great album, New Abnormal mogs though

Banda icônica do começo do século, influenciou todo mundo que veio depois. O rock praticamente se tornou storkeano desde então, pro bem, renovando o estilo, e pro mal, com a baixa testosterona típica do indie. Fazia tempo não escutava. Parece ficar sempre a dois passos de um grande disco de rock, mas falta mais energia de uma banda garageira (tem isso no grito inicial de Last Nite, p ex), acaba sendo broxante em vários momentos. Ainda assim, boas músicas, disco importante. Vale entrar na lista.

We’ll get to this. But the answer is quite possibly.

very 2000s, not my favorite style but still some great tracks and overall a good listen

I don't like to give The Strokes all the credit for the garage/indie rock explosion that occurred in the 2000's, but they deserve a lot of it. This album being an absolutely top notch example. Say what you will about his vocal style with the effects on all the time, but it really conveys the kind of lackadaisical melancholy of Millennials. Almost impressively so. Musically, it's got an exceptional simplicity. Everything feels understated, but it all blends and plays together really nicely. It does get a little monotone because of that, unfortunately. I'd knock it down more for that, but it's just such an influential album that it makes up for that shortcoming.

...... i should call her 3.95/5

The Strokes will always be a three star band to me I reckon.

Stand-out tracks: Soma, Barely Legal, Someday, Last Nite, Trying Your Luck, Take It Or Leave It Have listened to this one even before the challenge and some tracks have been all time favorites for a while. Upon a closer listen now I realised that I like even more of the album than I thought I did. The only complaint I would maybe have is that some tracks do kind of blend in a bit, but the whole thing is generally a really good vibe. Funnily enough I think that the title track is one of the weaker ones.

I have only listened intently to The Strokes a few times. This time I noticed a discernible pattern that helped me understand their appeal. They start out with a choppy rhythm guitar often paired with a busy piece of percussion. The pace starts quick, then accelerates, at times reaching frenzy level musically. Meanwhile Julian Casablanca keeps in control, occasionally rising to a greater level of agitation. He and the band never reach roll on the floor intensity. The sound helps unite the album. The two big hits, “Last Nite” and “Someday”, sound nearly identical in the beginning before veering into slightly different patterns. Nothing wrong with a formula. The Velvet Underground featured their famed drone strum and Keith Richards and Mick Jagger mined similar riffs for countless hits. That’s heady company, and The Strokes are not in their league. The Strokes sound too much like other bands and genres to fully stand out. I hear much post-punk in the guitars including Wire and a busier version of The Smiths. A narrow window of tempos limits the variety. I enjoy what they provide, but could use a change-up tossed into the mix. Not everyone is The Ramones. Since Is This It was a debut album, I would have looked forward to future releases. Not a Strokes expert, it appears they did not develop enough from this promising first record.

im not sure if i like this is it!

The Strokes are formulaic and I don’t care because I love the formula. Sue me.

Might be on my Mount Rushmore of albums

In my top 10 albums of all time…wish I could rate this thing a 6/5

Definitely feels like 2001. Not bad just doesn't do it much for me.

Some good bits but it's monotonous

Stacked and concise debut. The poster-child of the early 2000s post-punk rock revival. Not my absolute favorite of the 2000s NYC scene (I prefer Interpol's Turn On the Bright Lights a bit more), but a triumph nonetheless. Rating: 9/10

Is this it? I actually kinda like The Strokes, I thought I was gonna be more into it. There's a lot of talent, a definite "this" sound, very Strokes, but nowhere did it sit amazing with me. It was just pretty good, easy to replay, also easy to move on from. 3.3/5

Amazing album!

Not rubbish but not brilliant either. Just a decent listen. Sounds like someone I just can’t put my finger on.

Did not understand all the love for this album. It was merely fine, slightly above average garage/indie rock, nothing groundbreaking. Did not care for the lead singer's style, but some of the guitar work was pretty good. A 3/5 for me.

still a classic

An era-defining sound that I have a lot of nostalgia for, but wow, a lot of these songs sound the same. I can't deny I had fun listening to this again though.

AWESOME SAUCEEEE

Is This It 4.3 The Modern Age 4 Soma 4.2 Barely Legal 4 Someday 4.1 Alone, Together 4 Last Nite 4.3 Hard to Explain 3.7 New York City Cops 4.4 Trying Your Luck 4 Take It or Leave It 4 Score: 4.090909091

I think what people miss when they say it all sounds the same is that that’s the point: The Strokes found a sound that worked for them, and defined themselves on their debut album by sticking to it. The megaphone vocals, the panned guitars, the melodic bass, the dry production. It’s very intentional and instantly identifiable. It’s not a perfect record, but it’s a very good one, and one of the best at establishing a band’s sound.

I don't know how The Strokes do it, but they just keep sounding the same no matter what decade it is. Looking forward to reading Hyden's book named after this album. Favorite track: Hard to Explain

Classic bit of early 2000s rock. Truly The Strokes feel like a band that should be far bigger than they are, though I can see why they aren't. Love this album.

Super important to the genre, quite catchy at certain places

Still holds up.

Stella debut album, peak Strokes probably.

Few people have ever sounded as cool as Julian did here. All-timer

creepypasta background music

the strokes are catnip for whiteboys like me....

5/5. Classic of the 21st century.

more like a 3.5 if half stars were possible

Not outright bad, but pretty bland and monotonous. The rhythm guitar parts are generally the most basic strummed eighth note chords with no syncopation, there are no real highs and lows energy-wise, it’s just mid-tempo standard early 2000s rock that is trying very hard to sound cool at the expense of doing anything interesting. 2.5/5

Standouts: Barely Legal, Last Nite, Hard to Explain. These songs bring me right back to my high school/university indie sleaze days.

thoughts: - whoops, started listening out of order again - this would have done numbers on my ipod in HS playlist adds: - last nite > like a movie

Track By Track Is This It - Modern electro intro sound, tiny bit Radiohead-y. They sound like a proper rock/alt band. Very blended and cohesive. He’s kind of doggedly singing, quite laid back. Nice sound. The Modern Age - Have heard this before I think. Great flow and rhythm to this. So simple but it works. He seems to like that almost crap speakerphone/echoey effect on his voice. So much so that I can’t always understand what he’s saying but the tune is great so I’m kind of alright with it. Soma - This sounds like it would soundtrack a 2000s TV show or something. It’s both laid back/stoner-y and jovial. It’s like the emphasis is very much on the sound rather than the lyrics. Barely Legal - This has a very similar sound to The Modern Age to me. Quite decent rocky tune. Can also hear some of the garage influence on this one. It sounds SO 2000s! Can hear that it influenced Arctic Monkeys and Killers for sure (read this in the description). Someday - This really reminds me of Buzzcocks. Like a lot. Great tune. Again, simplicity is king in this universe. Alone, Together - Very Bloc Party. Jagged guitars, quite nice. Not a big stand out for me though. Last Nite - Crux of the record, but also goes very well in the tracklist. Possible favourite, apart from Modern Age. So good. So famous. The slowed ‘walking out that door’ at the end is so subtle but a quality touch. Brilliant. Hard To Explain - Nice drums, very insistent drive. Kind of here for it though. I appreciate the guitars here too. This is great songwriting, the verse and chorus blend so well, with a great flow for the whole tune. New York City Cops - More thrashy rock-from-a-garage vibe here. Even a bit punk. Quite decent energy on this one. Trying Your Luck - It’s quite a standard one for them. Not a stand out for me. A little drawly for this genre actually. Same as a bunch of other songs, as it says in lyrics (‘tell me it’s all the same’). Take It Or Leave It - It’s got their typical sound, with some punky lines peppered throughout. Potentially inspired by punk. It’s one of the slightly grimier ones on the record. Overall Review: It’s funny with this one. I feel as if I’d definitely have to be in the mood. It’s the first Strokes album I’ve listened to all the way through. Can hear its influence for sure. Very clear in many ways. I didn’t like all of the songs, some sounded samey and not my vibe but the songs I did like were very strong & I had a great time listening to those. Having said that, it’s not usually my go to genre right now and it didn’t blow me away musically or lyrically. Even so, it was a fun one. So, mixed! 3.5/5 Favourite Songs: The Modern Age, Someday, Last Nite, Hard To Explain

**An ok album

Simply a cool, good, indie album. Last Nite was my fav song of the album. Trying Your Luck (my fav first listen) and Someday were my other highlights

Vaca catch up

This was a fun album, easy listen all the way through with some good hits thrown in. It helps that I like alternative music and this album certainly fits well there.

Gran disco de una gran banda como The Strokes. Nunca había escuchado el álbum completo creo, sólo conocía Someday y Last Nite. Me re gustó. La banda tiene un estilo muy particular, tanto en el sonido como en el cantante.

So happy to have an excuse to listen to this again

Is this it? Just kidding - fun, snappy album but just lacking a little depth for me.