25 Years Of ‘Is This It’, The Strokes’ Era-Defining Debut Album
In 2001, The Strokes released their debut full-length album ‘Is This It’ and became the defining sound for a new generation of listeners.
Twenty-five years later, its lean songs, effortless cool, and enormous influence still make it feel like a dividing line in modern rock.
Today, the album stands as an audio artefact from a lost period of time. It was released in July of 2001 during a brief pocket of history nestled between Y2K hysteria subsiding and the 9/11 World Trade Centre attacks.
Grunge had run its course and belonged to Gen X, manufactured pop music ruled the charts, and nu metal held limited appeal to Millennial listeners seeking a musical identity they could call their own.
In January, The Strokes released ‘The Modern Age’, a three-song EP comprised of the title track as well as ‘Barely Legal’ and ‘Last Nite’. It was the first taste of what would soon become one of the most important bands of the new millennium.
Five months later, ‘Is This It’ landed with the immediate cultural impact of an asteroid that reshaped the musical landscape. It shifted industry focus back to rock music, sparking a post-punk and garage rock revival. It paved the way for bands like LCD Soundsystem, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and Arctic Monkeys – all of which cite The Strokes as a pivotal influence.
The songs were short – the entire 11-track album runs for just over 35 minutes – but sharp. They were driven by the dual guitars of Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. and punctuated by the sparse yet poetic lyrics of vocalist Julian Casablancas, with bassist Nikolai Fraiture and drummer Fabrizio Moretti providing the firm rhythmic anchor. That line-up hasn’t changed over the past 25 years.
Favouring melody over literal meaning, Julian crafted his wry and often cynical lyrics around typical adolescent lamentations and the complications of growing up: sex, drugs, awkward romance, relationships, youthful disillusionment, and urban ennui,
Casablancas sings with his trademark deadpan and distorted delivery, like a conversation through a tin can. Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. subvert the standing rhythm and lead roles, instead weaving separate guitar lines together coupled with aggressive downstrumming patterns that lend a sense of urgency to the songs without overloading them sonically.
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The compositions rely on a precise, minimalist approach where each band member and instrument is given space to breathe but never outshine the other or disrupt the groove. Throughout them all runs a whimsical thread of tongue-in-cheek humour, like ironic guitar solos with dissonant notes and don’t resolve musically.
It all adds to the mystique of The Strokes and the pretentious, too-cool-to-care attitude they fostered in their music and their public image. At the time, to be fan of The Strokes was more than a musical choice – it was a fashion statement.
The legacy of ‘Is This It’ transcends its commercial and critical success; it was a cultural reset for the new millennium. Twenty-five years later, its immense influence on shaping modern rock remains indisputable.
