I like to rock out to this album in my brand new car. Buy it!!!

Well i've litterally listened to this album over hundreds of times and it never gets old. I think all the people who gave it one star are just butthurt that their favorite bands are labeled as the saviors of rock. or that they hold the fact julien casablancas used something to digitally inhance his voice or sometihng. Well listen to them live there just as good. He doesnt have the best sining voice like lets say Regina Spektor does, but this is a rock band! You don't need the best voice. In my opinion they lived up to all the hype and compared to the killers whos the most popular rock band right now that the strokes are the savoiors of rock. Don't get me wrong the killers are alright but are they really rock n' roll or just another pop band. Also they bag on them for not being telented enough on the guitar???? They came up with some sick guitar solos and the constant strumming of the same few chords is part of their sound! Go listen to weezer and alot of other bands who are like that they are amazing too. I do agree Last Night is the weakest track though, but most bands release a super catchy song to sell the album to lil girls. Atleast it was just one of the 11 tracks. All in all this album is amazing and a breath of fresh air in this day and age. Get this album for sure. Theres no bands that really that make me think damn saviors of rock except for this band, anything on the label park the van, Fleet Foxes, and the Dead Trees (probally left alot out). The Strokes are on par if not better then any of those.

Music doesn't get much better than this. Julian's voice is perfect. The guitars are brilliant. Nothing more to say.

In the early 2000s, many listeners and critics hailed The Strokes as the saviour of rock in the same way they did Nirvana ten years beforehand. Even a critic with the intelligence of Joe S. Harrington dismissed criticism of the Strokes, writing on the webzine Blastitude an article titled "Why Does Everyone Hate the Strokes?".

With repeated listening, Nirvana can be shown to be no different from the stadium bands the critics who adored them despised. Unfortunately, the Strokes are absolutely no better in this respect. Indeed, "Is This It" could be viewed as being worse than either Nirvana or preceding stadium bands, for it lacks even the catchy hooks and tunes that makes it at least remotely possible to listen repeatedly. The production and sound on "Is This It" might be designed to ape the great dream pop bands of the 1980s and 1990s, but it has a terrible effect because the Strokes show they simply cannot create the sort of atmosphere to make a record like Treasure or Loveless or Love Agenda. The simple, sparse, un-layered, guitar, bass and drums sound has been done in the same way many times before. More than that, it takes something really special for this type of power pop to attract my attention because it tends to seem either childish or overblown otherwise. Whilst the Strokes are neither childish nor overblown, they certainly are very bland: the volume changes are exactly like a 1980s power ballad admixed with some ordinary alternative rock from that era: a mix that in no way comes close to gelling.

More than that, Julian Casablancas' voice is equally bland and unmemorable. Even on the fastest moments he never sings with serious passion, and on the slower songs he seems quite out of place: together it gives the effect of an adult oriented rock album sung by a punk singer. On most choruses Casablancas fails entirely to get enough breath to give any feeling or memory to the listener, who might almost feel desensitised. The hardest and last song here, "Take It or Leave It", is an improvement with real hooks and passionate playing, but the macho aftertaste that tends to repel me so much from the hard end of the rock spectrum is enough to prevent me wanting to put this song on my iPod. The opener, "Is This It", sounds quite like a less tuneful Foreigner ballad, whilst the faster "The Modern World" sounds like too many critically slaved power pop bands to mention. Casablancas' voice becomes particularly grating in the middle of this song. Then "Soma" sounds like many bad 1990s alternative radio bands in its awfully tuneless loud passages that are no better than "Breakfast at Tiffany's". The synsthesised voice of "Barely Legal" is another lowlight.

All in all, "Is This It" can be described as a terrible kind of record that apes many styles from 1970s power pop through stadium rock, 1980s alternative and 1990s radio alternative without ever gaining a distinctive touch or, before the last track, a memorable hook. Casablancas' grating voice is a further liability: he sings without ever giving his full power in a voice that is terribly tuneless and would be better suited to much more extreme hard rock.

This IS it. The Strokes are one of the most addicting bands out there. Their sound is influenced by some, but like no other. I would describe them as artists that create beauty out of disgust. They have a really rough and grungy style that becomes catchy and original. This is mainly due to the lead singer, who is like Jim Morrison without poetry. There are people that will look at this band and say "I Get It!" They're displaying a harder message behind their simple abandonement of class.

The Strokes are sarcastic, dirty, and rebellious. The microphone recording style is roughly polished and yet most would consider it "ugly." I listened to them awhile back and I didn't quite understand it till I came back to it at age 19. They're recreating grunge with the element of real art. It took me two seconds to buy the album after previewing. Do what I did, and preview "Is This It?" and "Someday" and tell me that you wouldn't buy this on the basis of those samples.

"Is This It?" is an album that will go in my generation's collection as a classic. I feel sorry for those who cannot connect with it as I can, because it generated a lot of good feelings within me.

The Strokes debut was mind-blowing. They gained a reputation as just another "garage band" at the time, due to the overnight popularity of The White Stripes, Vines, etc., but these bands are all nothing alike. Say what you will about them; they are just a great solid rock band.

www.mypoproks.com

When a friend gave me the Modern Age EP that preceded this album, I was hooked: I thought that this was the best punk-derived music I'd heard in ages. Now Julian's lazy voice sounds less cool than it did on the initially awesome-seeming "Barely Legal." The band could afford to get a little rougher around the edges; the EP has a rawer version of "Barely Legal" that's still worth checking out.

I love the overall sound. Catchy guitar lines, and heavy bass accompanied by mumbling lyrics. I enjoy Casablanca's singing style.

this is a great album, i would recommend it ti any indie/britpop fan

I love this cd. It's one of the albums I keep in my car. I've seen them in concert and they are even better.

Although The Strokes sound like a rip-off of most NYC classic punk bands, they still sound great! The Strokes made an album that is great from beginning to end. The other album I enjoyed more this year was The Hives-Veni, Vedi, Vicious, which I suggest you try listening to too.

I think that this song is one of the best songs that I have heard from a mainstream band in a long time. Considering all the garbage that has came out in the last couple of years.

I loved "Last Nite" the first time I ever heard it - it actually sounded like real music, unlike the monotuous grind of Creed/Nickleback/Lifehouse, etc. But after listening to the whole album I came to the conclusion that it's fun driving music for a few days but beyond that it's kind of monotuous in its own way. It was better than a LOT of what's passing for music these days but it was still kind of disappointing. Maybe they're more of a cult band?

Oh man. This CD is one of my favorites. Just fantastic. Their sound just all comes together to make dynamite rock.

one of the best 39 minutes put on record in 2001---sure, television and any other dirty nyc downtown band you can name did it better, but so what?

The strokes really haven't done anything new or exciting with this album but it's been a while since any one has done it this well. I know what people meen when they say 'if you've heard one you've heard them all' but when they're all this good who cares!

I have to admit that this is a catchy record. Simple guitar riffs, heavy vocal distortion, a raw sound - if you like one of this band's songs you will probably like them all. However, with all of the hype that this band has been getting, I have to say that I was expecting more. I can see myself getting sick of the sound / record fairly quickly.