"And all together it went well / We made pretend we were best friends"
Today's thing I like is The Strokes' 2001 debut album: Is This It Which is an awesome, awesome rock album that everyone should hear. Why?
Well here's five reasons:
It's Simple.
Calling something simple can sometimes be a bad thing. (I.E. Ghost Rider was a simple movie for simple people.) Sometimes, however, it can be the best thing. (I.E. Is This It succeeds with it's simple song construction by relying on catchy tunes and hooks.) Sure, the songs are basic in construction, but it just fucking works. Case in point: The song "Barely Legal". If you've heard that song before, I can guarantee you that you're hearing the opening guitar riff in your head right now.
It's Upbeat.
This is another simple concept that makes this album fantastic. In the last decade or two, so much heavy-handed, deep, and depressing music has come out that it's easy to get lost in the downbeat emotions of musicians. Is This It hearkens back to a time when rock music made you feel good, and made you get up and dance. This is not the way rock always has to be, but sometimes I need a break from stuff like "Karma Police" and "Hurt".
The Vocals.
You don't have to agree, but to me there's something both soulful and approachable about Julian Casablanca's voice. He manages to create and maintain his own style, and the music still appeals to a vast audience.
Well here's five reasons:
It's Simple.
Calling something simple can sometimes be a bad thing. (I.E. Ghost Rider was a simple movie for simple people.) Sometimes, however, it can be the best thing. (I.E. Is This It succeeds with it's simple song construction by relying on catchy tunes and hooks.) Sure, the songs are basic in construction, but it just fucking works. Case in point: The song "Barely Legal". If you've heard that song before, I can guarantee you that you're hearing the opening guitar riff in your head right now.
It's Upbeat.
This is another simple concept that makes this album fantastic. In the last decade or two, so much heavy-handed, deep, and depressing music has come out that it's easy to get lost in the downbeat emotions of musicians. Is This It hearkens back to a time when rock music made you feel good, and made you get up and dance. This is not the way rock always has to be, but sometimes I need a break from stuff like "Karma Police" and "Hurt".
The Vocals.
You don't have to agree, but to me there's something both soulful and approachable about Julian Casablanca's voice. He manages to create and maintain his own style, and the music still appeals to a vast audience.It's a Rock Album.
It's not Alternative. It's not pop. It's not proto-garage punk or anything else. It's just good, standard rock and roll music. This is probably the first album that I can say that about since back when AC/DC was really good.
The Album Art.
Nothing says rock and roll like a hot chick's ass on the cover of your album. Even if you get the American album art, it's still pretty damn cool looking.In conclusion, Is This It is a well crafted and catchy rock album, and I like it.
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