‘Is This It’ By The Strokes — A Review
yo,
‘Is This It’ is the debut album of the renowned rock band The Strokes.
Released on July 30, 2001, the album is widely regarded as one of the best debut albums in modern rock history, introducing a distinct garage rock and post-punk revival sound that set the band apart from others in the 2000s.
Hailing from New York, The Strokes made a significant impact on modern rock not just in the US but worldwide, influencing a generation of bands.
One of the best examples is Artic Monkeys vocalist Alex Turner’s open line on the album ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’ — I just wanted to be one of The Strokes.
Other notable examples are The Kooks, The Vaccines, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and Kings of Leon.
There’s a reason why the title ‘Is This It’ isn’t punctuated with a question mark — this LP was the answer to the direction of modern rock.
Without it, most of these modern rock bands that would become famous in the 2000s/2010s wouldn’t have the same recognition or even exist.
Despite ‘Is This It’ being their debut album, The Strokes had already generated significant buzz with the release of the single Hard to Explain and the EP ‘The Modern Age’.
The quality of these projects sparked an intense bidding war among record labels, which RCA Records eventually won.
When ‘Is This It’ was ultimately released, the record contained the single and the standout tracks from the EP: The Modern Age, Barely Legal and Last Nite.
The band’s debut single, Hard to Explain, raised high expectations for the album with its spectacular rock sound, fascinating guitar chords, catchy yet chaotic chorus, and impactful lyrics.
The famous cover art of the single is based on Shiro Kuramata’s iconic Glass Chair piece, inspired by the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
That track set the pace not only for the following EP but also for the rest of the record.
The Modern Age is a track characterised by the great guitar solo, Barely Legal presents a barely illegal message (that I hope Julian doesn’t approve), and Last Nite, arguably the band’s most popular track, stands out with its crazy guitar, drums, and catchy vocals — The raw and energetic sound of The Strokes is perfectly captured in this song.
Musically speaking, the most impressive feature of ‘Is This It’ is its production and characteristic sound.
The album’s simple chords and lyrics, combined with metronomic drum beats, create the instantly recognizable and almost as ‘dirty’ sound of The Strokes.
This phenomenal melody is beautifully complemented by lyrics focused on youth and love in New York, brought to life by Julian Casablancas’ gritty and distorted voice.
Casablancas’ distinctive vocal style is integral to The Strokes’ unique sound and is also evident in his solo work, such as his amazing contribution to Daft Punk’s album ‘Random Access Memories’ on the track Instant Crush.
‘Is This It’ opens with the title track, where the lyrics reveal that the lead vocalist and primary songwriter was far from the detached persona the media portrayed.
Instead, in this record Julian showcases the virtues of dedication and hard work, demonstrating that even the most creative perfectionists can maintain a laid-back appearance.
There are definitely tracks that stand out more than others but the beauty of this record in my opinion is its consistency.
There’s not a single song on this record that I feel the need to skip while listening through it or if it comes on a playlist.
Before going through the rest of the tracks, there’s some controversy around the project’s cover art I wanted to address.
The record officially features both of these art covers:
The first one is the international release cover. The buttocks seen on it are that of NYC photographer Colin Lane’s girlfriend.
Due to this somewhat graphic cover, the band members were concerned that conservative chain stores would not put their record on the shelves — Thus, the alternate cover art was born.
This alternate cover that was released isn’t abstract art, is in fact a photograph of particles colliding in the Big European Bubble Chamber.
In comparison to the other covers, this one fits better on their discography and seems to be more in line with the record’s vibes, as evidenced by the Hard To Explain video clip.
Nevertheless, I have to admit that the original cover had a little kick or spice to it and is definitely my favourite.
This was also not the only issue around the project.
Following the 9/11 terrorist attack, the track New York City Cops was thought of as an inappropriate subject to include on the album, due to the death of police officers in rescue missions.
As a result, the song was replaced with When It Started which caused the American release to be postponed from September 25 to mid-October.
Glad they included the track later on though. Its fast-paced, punk blaster, Ramones-influenced, simpler style gives something different to the record.
Not so hard, but with the same idea are the songs Alone Together and the final track Take It Or Leave It.
And well, despite appreciating the diversity these tracks give, more laid-back songs such as Soma, Trying Your Luck and Someday really made the record what it is.
Soma, referencing the imaginary ‘ideal pleasure drug’ from Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World, the romantic ventures with a woman who you have strong feelings for, and how you are willing to Take It Or Leave It to try and get her but especially, Someday.
Its catchy, upbeat rhythm simultaneously conveys a sense of melancholy, reflecting the band’s nostalgia for the good old days.
The chorus features one of the most beautiful melodies on the record and among nearly the band’s entire discography, making it a standout track and a personal favourite.
Despite the obvious and already mentioned influence this record had globally, it is also critically well regarded, having won the award for Best Album Of The Year on the British music magazine NME Awards, multiple nominations throwout and a well-deserved 68th place on the recent Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums.
Not just awards but also critical recognition. With an 85 critic score on AOTY, ‘Is This It’ received comments such as being an exciting, compulsively listenable debut (AllIsMusic), once in a generation album (Gigwise) and breathless, goggle-eyed, assuredly brilliant album (Q Magazine).
I feel kind of weird giving this such a high ranking as it’s the first and only The Strokes album I’ve listened to, but how can I possibly denigrate this masterpiece?
There’s nothing unnecessary here, ‘Is This It’ is a spectacular record, a must-listen to every rock fan but also to any music enjoyer — do take a listen to this one!
And as a reply to Julian Casablancas on the first track: yes, this is it!
9,3/10
Highlights:
- Someday
- Last Night
- Hard To Explain
Peace,
Isi
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