The Strokes
Is this it
Rough Trade 2001

Is this it? At least they named it accurately. The gap between hype and reality took my breath away. I bought it because I thought the single ‘The Modern Age’ was truly exciting. Sure, it sounds exactly like the Velvet Underground, but worse things could happen. The nifty 2/2 backbeat and super-confident Lou Reed-type vocals are great. The simplicity is beautiful and it’s over so fast you just have to play it again.

But the album. Jesus. Weak songs, flat sound, nothing to like. A lo-fi punk-pop thing that’s been done so much better by so many other people and when the whole album sounds like the Velvet Underground it’s less forgivable than one single. ‘Last Nite’ got put out as a single after being a B-side on ‘The Modern Age’, which just goes to show what limited material they’re working with.

The other part of the hype says they’re all really good looking. Can’t see it, myself.