Is This it

by The Strokes

Yeah, I know it's an old album, but I'm really enjoying it and want to talk about my love for this band so screw it!

I was actually late coming to The Strokes, didn't get into them until their third album, 'First Impressions of Earth' from 2006 (possibly one of my favourite years for music). That album was their breakaway from the rhythm and tempo that they had been known for, proving that they were technically proficient and gifted musicians and not just one trick ponies...but that's not what this blog post is about, it's about this ponies first trick.....

...but before that, I'm going to wax lyrical about the band itself, cause look at how cool these dudes look:

I idolised this band when I was 15/16, because I was like them in so many ways- I was skinny and no matter how much I ate, I couldn't get to the size of the rugby players in my school (or football players for any Americans reading), I had shaggy, unkempt hair that fell over my eyes (still do), I wasn't exactly Mr. Tall (I just scrape the heels off 5'7”/ 1.7metres) and clothes always looked baggy on me and I emphasised said baagy-ness with a well trained and rehearsed slouch! -so along come this band with 5 guys who all kinda look, act and mumble like me:

See?

So, that was instant recognition! That was like, 'Yeah, it's cool that you're ugly and under-dressed no matter how much you try to look otherwise- we are too, and we make great music!' so I fell in love with the band and now, without much more nonsense, I'll talk about their first album:

The first track is the eponymous track Is this it and sarcastically opens with a mocking tone to old jap-pop style music, petering out to this mellow beat led by drummer Fab Moretti (he's had Drew Barrymore) that's heavy on the bass drum, an instant toe tapper. The guitar chimes in, in conjunction with Julian Caasablancas lyrics and they exchange melodies, before breaking down with a chorus.

What's enjoyable about this (and most) Strokes song is that guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond jnr. trade rhythm and riffs to make a sound that's bigger than the individual musicians- there is little to no ego in the exchange.

Then, in chimes The Modern Age where all ego gets thrown out in exchange for a full rhythmic wall of sound- something The Strokes are very well known for.

Outstanding point, is Hammond jnr's callback to his dad's day, with a ballsy 60's style Strat solo

Soma comes in on track 3, a song I've always resumed to be an overt reference to Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and it's drug use. The pattern n the music here is similar to Is this it but where thee verses exchange melodies, on the chorus and breaks, lyrics and guitars counter each other on melodies, all the while drive by Nikolai Fraiture and Fab Moretti's driving rhythm section.

Barely Legal tells the story of being a frustrated teen in New York, and saving up to take a girl out and ask her out just to be shut down. It's a youthful song, and the upbeat and frantic tunes of the musicians reflect this!

There's beautiful parts where guitars and bass have a conversation over the melodies, driven by Valensi's tight rhythms, while Moretti's drums keep the show on the road!

After that bout of cynicism and disappointment, the next song out is the optimistic Someday, a song of harmonies and driving rhythm, not the most memorable.

More romanticism, in Alone Together wherein Casablancas sings about going out with a girl and then realising she isn't the girl he knew

things they have changed in such a permanent way

Musically, this would be the sound that The Strokes would be recognised for, particularly on their 2^nd album Room on Fire

The popular single then lines up with Last Nite and you can visualise all the indie-hipster princesses running frantically to the dance floor with their Vans and Cons to bop along to Valensi and Fraiture's tight rhythm section, pock marked with aggression on the hi-hats by Fab Moretti, while Hammond leads- hell, he even gets a wailing and beautiful guitar solo.

Then comes my favourite track from this album, the fast paced, upbeat, and panicky Hard to Explain. This song starts with Moretti's drum mixed with processed beats before hitting you with that rhythmic wall of sound I spoke of before, as both guitars play rhythm with the bass.

Overlayed on this is Hammond jr's lead, but it's so tightly mixed in with the rhythm that you'd forget it's a lead riff as well as the top layer of the brick wall. Fully functional and practical but still beautiful!

New York City Cops is their angry anthem on this album, although light hearted in tone, there's still an air of resentment as Casablancas screams out:

New york city cops....they ain't too smart

Whether this song is in deft protest of a particular set of new york cops or just a general angry refrain meant to evoke a reaction I don't know but it's fast, enjoyable and gives you a chance to fist pump in a kind of 'Rage against the machine lite' act of civic protest.

Trying your luck is the 2^nd to last track on the album, and possibly the most grown up. It tells the tale of somebody trying to just get along in the world, and being critiqued by those around him.

Musically, it's about the most different track on this album, going in waves of temperate (cause early Strokes don't do 'slow') to really fast rhythmic playing. Casablancas is lamenting vocally and it is quite beautiful!

Final track is Take it or Leave it and it's The Strokes saying good bye quick and painlessly, this music is fast, tight rhythmically, and gets you to your big finish and you can, as Casablancas calls out, just take it or leave it.