15) The Strokes: 'Is This It'

Hailing from New York, The Strokes were hyped up by the critics as the saviours of rock and roll before they even released a single album. The excitement surrounding this band was phenomenal at the time. Harking back to the 1970’s garage rock sound of The Stooges, Television and in particular The Velvet underground, these band almost single handedly, along with the White Stripes, revived garage rock for the 21st century. There was nothing new about the sound or lyrics; it was a retro sound with clear themes of sex, drugs and rock and roll. They opened the flood gates for the plethora of garage rock bands which followed such as The Kings of Leon, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and, across the pond, The Arctic Monkeys.

Most bands would have crumbled under the immense pressure placed upon them; however, ‘Is This It?’ is an amazing feat. The energy emulating from these boys is part and parcel of their success. The whole album is just a little over 30 minutes long and we and once you overcome the low-budget production the songs just shine through. The songs are aggressive and grainy with some neat guitar solos punctuated with lots of staccato chords from the rhythm section.

Is This It kicks off this masterpiece with a low-fi under produced number, a gem to open with. Then we are treated to a vocal which just gets lost in the amazing rhythm and guitar work of The Modern Age, a classic indie dance track. The musically airtight Soma next which again is a stunning track. Barely Legal continues in dance friendly mode and has some great lyrics. We are then treated to some cheery and laid back effort with Someday and Alone, Together. Last Nite is probably the most famous song from the album and always proves a winner at any indie club.
Hard to Explain is very simple yet is probably one of the best songs on the album also, proof that less is more. New York City Cops was banned from the original release due to the 9/11 attacks but is a superb song full of energy and fun. Trying Your Luck brings down the pace a little and is on level par with anything else on this album. Finally we end with Take It Or Leave It, an all out punk style track and a brilliant way to end this classic album. At Number 15, The Strokes with Is This It.