The Strokes - Is This It

With all the media hype that dogged the Strokes before the release of their debut album, it's rather apt that they chose the title Is This It. On the strength of just five songs released on two singles, the Strokes were being hailed as everything from the saviors of rock & roll to the Savior himself. Surely, few bands could live up to the impossibly high standards set for this young five-piece, but the band needn't have worried: Is This It is one of the most exciting and energetic debut albums to spring from New York's long-dormant club scene. In fact, the Strokes are a New York City band through and through; like the Velvet Underground, these are a bunch of uptown artsy types elegantly slumming downtown to the tried and tested themes of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. Their singer-songwriter, the fantastically named Julian Casablancas, delivers his lyrics with a weary nonchalance that belies his age on songs like the title track, "Soma," "Hard to Explain," and the altogether wonderful "Barely Legal." And the band recalls the likes of Television and the Stooges on "Last Nite" and "The Modern Age." Let's hope this sexy, stylish, and undeniably cool band is the future of rock & roll. --Robert Burrow Amazon.com\'s Best of 2001

The album title....

...pretty much sums up how I felt when I listened to this album. Yes, I know I'm arriving late to the whole "Strokes" scene. But it was recommended to me by Amazon so I decided to give it a listen.

My first thought was "which song is one I would have heard before?" you know, just to put a sound with the name. So I looked through, trying to recognize a title. Nope. So I played the first 15-20 seconds of each song trying to recognize one. Nope. So I listened to the whole album... and that is when I discovered why I have not heard any of The Strokes' music before: it sounds like countless other bands I've heard. Maybe I HAVE heard them before, but I wouldn't know it, because it doesn't stand out.

I'm not saying that it's not catchy music. It is. Or that it's not fun to listen to. It is. But here's the thing. When I play this album, I know I'm going to need something else to occupy my mind as well. I can't just sit and enjoy the soaring melodies or ponder lyrics or have my emotions spilled by this music, because it's doesn't possess stand-out melodies or lyrics or emotion. The album is kind of a blur of easy beats and simplistic riffs, and yes they are catchy, but after a while I have no idea how many songs into the album I am because I can't differentiate. This is my assessment: it is great background music. I can listen to this when I'm, say...scrapbooking. Or doing homework. I don't know, maybe I could jog to it. Or, like right now, type a review. And sure, my feet might tap and I might bob my head a little. And of course, I am enjoying myself. Don't get me wrong, it's good music. However, when I come across something that has received THIS much critical acclaim, I expect to be blown away. This album does not blow me away. In fact, it makes me think "is this it?" August 9, 2008

Meh

Not much here. The whole album is very repititous. All in all it's standard, and not much more.

I wouldn't mind the standard chords and rather bland instrumentation if the lyrics were there to back it, but they aren't. As another reviewer said, there's nothing here that's new or innovative. That said it's not horrendous, but also not particularly enjoyable. June 10, 2008

Awesome Album; cracked CD case

The album is great. The product from Amazon came with a crack in the case - not impressed. May 19, 2008

The Strokes

This is a good album. A few of the songs don't stick with you, but overall it is good. February 14, 2008

Catchy

This was the only CD I bough of the Strokes so far, but it was well worth it. Some of the catchiest tunes that I have ever heard, probably a little inappropriate in some, but you can hardly find a CD or movie without language these days unless you want to go pure Gospel and Religious. February 9, 2008

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