The Strokes - Is This It? Album Review

Review of The Strokes album 'Is This It' released on Rough Trade

Not that The Strokes need much of an introduction. They've been a controversial topic in almost all UK based music magazines over the past few months. But just in case you've been on an extra-long holiday and missed all the fun, here goes:

Arriving from out of nowhere (well New York actually), this five piece are being hailed as the hottest new band on the planet by respected music papers such as the NME and on the other hand getting slated quite vehemently by dance mags such as 7 mag. 

Oh well, it's rock and roll. It's meant to be trouble but if you've caught and enjoyed their first two releases, 'The Modern Age' and 'Hard To Explain/NYC Cops', both lifted from the aforementioned album then you're in for a major treat with the rest of this long player. 

Like fellow yanks Iggy Pop and the Velvet Underground these boys possess that kind of nonchalant cool. Streetwise New Yorkers with a voice to match. And amongst other things they have the ability to create the most painfully catchy songs you are likely to have heard all year, the kind of rare catchy songs that demand constant and repeated plays - especially when pissed with mates!