The Strokes’ Is This It, released in 2001, is a defining album of the garage rock revival, delivering a raw yet polished sound that captured the restless energy of early-2000s youth culture. With its lo-fi production, tight instrumentation, and Julian Casablancas’s distinctively cool vocals, the album evokes a gritty, retro vibe while feeling undeniably fresh. Its themes of disillusionment, love, and urban ennui struck a chord with a generation coming of age in a rapidly changing world.
From the opening title track, the album sets a laid-back yet emotionally charged tone. Tracks like “The Modern Age” and “Last Nite” showcase the band’s knack for combining infectious melodies with a sharp, minimalist approach. “Last Nite,” with its unforgettable riff and swaggering lyrics, became an instant anthem, propelling the band to international stardom. Songs like “Someday” blend nostalgia and melancholy with a breezy charm, offering moments of introspection amid the album’s high-energy edge.
The sound of Is This It was shaped by producer Gordon Raphael, who worked with the band to achieve its distinctive lo-fi aesthetic. Casablancas’s vocals were deliberately recorded with a vintage microphone to achieve a compressed, gritty sound, giving the album its raw, unpolished feel. Guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti brought a disciplined, interlocking style to their performances, creating a seamless blend of rhythm and melody that became The Strokes’ signature.
The album was celebrated for its directness and simplicity, with many comparing it to the stripped-down energy of bands like The Velvet Underground and Television. Its brevity—11 tracks clocking in at just over 35 minutes—added to its immediacy, leaving a lasting impact without overstaying its welcome.
While Is This It was praised for reviving rock’s raw spirit, it also courted controversy. The original cover art, featuring a close-up of a woman’s body, was deemed too provocative for some markets and replaced in the U.S. The track “New York City Cops,” a critique of police inefficiency, was also swapped out for “When It Started” in American releases following the events of 9/11, reflecting the sensitivity of the time.
The album was an instant critical success and quickly gained a devoted fan base, becoming a cultural touchstone of the early 2000s. It influenced a wave of bands in the garage rock revival movement, from The Libertines to Arctic Monkeys, and is often cited as one of the best debut albums in rock history.
Is This It remains a powerful snapshot of its era, capturing the spirit of rebellion and cool detachment that defined the indie rock scene of the early 21st century. Its lasting influence can be seen in the enduring popularity of its style, proving that The Strokes not only revived rock but redefined it for a new generation.
