Is This It - Strokes (The) > Reviews

Advantages: The Sound Of Joyful Spontaneous Combustion.
Disadvantages: Sweet But Perhaps Too Short?

...even now months later it is hard to not to sit back and marvel at its genius. The Strokes seem to have it all, a lead singer with true star quality, capable it of penning worthy classics at the drop of a hash pipe. The other band members are no slouches either and would surely take centre stage at all the cool parties. Aloofness will be back in vogue as soon as the word spreads. 'Is This It?' could be viewed as an exercise in cut and paste. Garnering ... Read review

Advantages: full of fast angular indie-rock that satisfies consistently
Disadvantages: one weak song,production is a bit weedy

...first single from the album is awesome.Cutting guitar lines,passionate vocals and a great pop melody 3.SOMA Could be a Lou Reed classic.It's choppy and disjointed, starting and then stopping, but always brilliant. 4.BARELY LEGAL Good track but this highlights one problem with the album, which is the production.The whole thing sounds like it was recorded underwater or they completed it and then scratched the tapes. 5.SOMEDAY A truly uplifiting ... Read review

Advantages: Last Nite, Hard To Explain, The Modern Age
Disadvantages: It's so so so so so so so so repetitive

...We scowl when their name is mentioned and slag them off at every opportunity. I'd heard Last Nite a couple of times, and not had the revelation that seemingly everyone else had. I'd also gone to reading Festival in 2001 and seen Eels fans crying because The Strokes had been moved to the main stage, and caused the running order to be totally buggered and Eels to be on early. I was lucky, and saw them, and then pointedly pissed off to get some food ... Read review

Advantages: 11 Storming Tracks
Disadvantages: None

...them and the resulting album is quite possibly the best album of 2001. I remained quite wary of the band at first and thought the likes of NME were getting carried away like they usually do. The first couple of singles sounded quite good but whether they could make a whole album that good was a constant question mark. I finally gave in and bought it a few months after its release following a number of people telling me how great it was. Then from ... Read review

Advantages: see review
Disadvantages: not many

...punk explosion as subsided, Punk is not quite dead but it's definitely in intensive care and the outlook isn't good! A new wave of …New Wave music is starting to surface, bands like Elvis Costello, The Jam, Eddie and The Hotrods, Joe Jackson, Graham Parker and the Rumour, Joy Division and from across the Atlantic, Blondie, Talking Heads… So what's this got to do with The Strokes? I hear you shouting at your computer screen… well you know how Proust ... Read review

Advantages: Fantastic sound. Every song fits.
Disadvantages: Is it possible to be too cool?

...that everyone loves and it is difficult to find a fault. This is the case with The Strokes and their debut album ' Is This It'. It has been so hyped by certain DJs and magazines and the band have the obligatory celeb following that I really wanted to dislike it. But it is so good, completely fresh and yet reminiscent of a hundred other bands. Supercool and yet still raw The Strokes are the future of music (I hope). I have heard many people express ... Read review

Advantages: Great mix of new and old sounds
Disadvantages: A bit too short

...that this falls in to is difficult to pinpoint, as it’s a blend of classic rock and roll, cobbled together with modern indie, retro Beatles, and even a hint of some Oasis style guitar breaks. Now, there are a lot of new-ish bands out there that insist on repeating the lyrics and musical undertones of a depressed psychotic, not that there is anything wrong with this style of music, Starsailor, Coldplay, Mercury Rev and Turin Brakes all pull this ... Read review

Advantages: Energetic, Upbeat, Rough 'n' Ready
Disadvantages: Short

...of the UK. ‘Is This It’ is a short album – coming in at only 36 point something minutes – but it’s a real cracker. For me, hearing it for the first time was like a wake-up call. Energetic, rough ‘n’ ready, uplifting, get-up-and-do-it music is back with a vengeance. Many people are calling The Strokes punk, but they’re actually nothing like it to my ears. Others are claiming an Oasis influence, ... Read review

Advantages: Saviours of rock and roll, cool, sounds great
Disadvantages: Lyrics? Similar sound throughout

...The rock music scene is in dire straits; in both the English and American charts Papa Roach is soaring to the heights of success; the kids are charting for, well, Kid Rock, and the staggeringly dull Embrace have just released their latest single. It's a world dominated by nu-metal and copycat Coldplays, a world of little, nay no, originality or melody, a world in which rock and roll has been condemned to a cringe-worthy death. The only half decent ... Read review

Advantages: Pure class and very addictive.
Disadvantages: YUo must be kidding there are no disadvantages!!

...£15. So the key there is to shop around to get a good price. Also you may not like the music but if you buy the album you do have a picture of a rather fetching bum (worthy of the payment alone????). The album sleeve is full of portrait pictures of the band, the producer, the manager and the big JP the guru. By the way is it me of is the bass player the most uncomfortable looking person in the world, with freakishly big hands!!!! The album itself ... Read review

Advantages: Iconic drawling vocals, wonderfully written songs, superb guitar, great energy, dirt cheap, flows wonderfully
Disadvantages: A little short for some

...didn't disappoint. "Is This It?" is probably the greatest debut album since Oasis arrived with "Definitely Maybe". It has an energy which flows throughout, and has an ever present musical quality that eludes so many average bands, but all the greats find with natural ease. The Strokes have their own distinctive style. They are definitely a proper Rock N Roll band, with upbeat drums, electric guitar work and the fantastic New York drawl of lead singer ... Read review

Advantages: Refreshingly rye, witty, mildly sarcastic, makes you smile
Disadvantages: More 'Oh, that's cool..' rather than 'WOW! Thats AMAZING!'

...right back to the sixties. This is a ‘good time’ record- you won’t find any nu-metal angst here. Indeed, the songs all remain remarkably upbeat, often reminiscing about past times and experiences (“When did we have fun? Always”- Someday) . Julian Casablancas’ nasal and ‘lazy’ voice is brilliantly effective in burrowing its way in the minds of the listener with melodies that you will be whistling in the street. From the hit single ‘Last Night’ with ... Read review