Review Summary: The Ultimate Background Album
"Is This It," often hailed as a masterpiece of indie garage rock, directly influenced hundreds, if not thousands, of other bands, carrying The Strokes' legacy in both song and lyricism. Yet, despite the notable accomplishment of being one of the chosen few records in every hipster's playbook, along with Arctic Monkeys' "AM" and Cigarettes After Sex's self-titled—otherwise known as the whitest music to ever exist in the history of white people music—this record, under the heap of catchy hooks and playful lyrical undertones, lacks what's at the core of any truly worthwhile release: substance.
“Is This It” is unique in the case where both its flaws and merits seemingly intertwine. While all the songs are memorable and distinct from one another, they all borrow the same essence. Almost every song here is three minutes long, which—while making the album consistent in terms of pacing—keeps it from being surprising. With how it’s structured, the album ends up being flat and even in what it offers, rarely experimenting or diverging from itself into anything truly unique or special. And while this consistency makes the album a particularly easy listen, it keeps it rather empty and stale in terms of what it accomplishes. This is an album that relies heavily on its catchiness factor, but catchiness alone can only push an album so far.
The album's flow remains smooth and constant, but this fluidity often feels calculated to an almost artificial extent. Every melody, however memorable, carries an air of contrivance. There's a hint of humanity in the slightly muffled production, yet much of it feels distant and almost cold, likely not what the band intended. The album rarely surprises or takes risks, contributing to a robotic quality that can feel stagnating. While the instruments are adequately played, they seldom stand out or contrast with each other. Instead of having distinct personalities that create a unique atmosphere, they blend into a mundane force.
Nevertheless, a few aspects elevate the album above mediocrity. It isn't completely devoid of nuance, which is appreciated. The organ-like synth in "Take It Or Leave It" adds a needed dimension, making it one of the stronger tracks. The playful bass in the title track is hard not to enjoy. The guitar solos are great, rarely out of place and played tastefully, even if the album’s laid-back nature doesn't fully welcome them. The vocals, while mostly one-dimensional and far from virtuosic, employ a rougher, grungy tone that complements the album well, even at the expense of emotion, which is felt mainly through the delivery. Though unique, this style can sometimes come off as dry and distant. Otherwise, this album appears almost infallible in terms of how few flaws it presents on its surface, yet oddly enough, this absence exacerbates the record’s one major flaw: it simply doesn’t feel human.
The brevity of the songs often hampers their ability to fully develop the ideas they introduce. Instead of offering a compelling narrative that challenges the listener and subverts their preconceived notions, these tracks tend to rely heavily on catchy hooks to maintain engagement. This over-reliance on hooks, while initially captivating, falls short of delivering thoughtful and creative soundscapes that could provide a deeper, more rewarding listening experience despite how intrinsically infectious the record may be. The songs also suffer from a sense of disconnection due to the absence of a universal theme that ties the record together. Each track sounds distinct, but they fail to complement one another, lacking any realized ideas that carry over from one song to the next. This sense of passivity makes the record difficult to take seriously.
In the end, "Is This It" fails to explore anything truly meaningful or surprise the listener beyond its surface appeal. The album's inability to weave a cohesive narrative or present a unified artistic vision leaves it feeling fragmented and unfulfilling, ultimately falling short of its potential. "Is This It" stands as a paradox: it lays itself out as warm and captivating, yet a lingering sense of apathy and coldness permeates the record. No matter how charismatic it may appear on the surface, it fails to hide the much-needed depth and nuance it lacks, which plagues an otherwise enjoyable release. Yet, for all these conflicting factors, it cannot be denied that the record is far more compelling because of them.
