*Trumpets play declaring an announcement* Do not fret, for I have a perfect album to be the anthem of your summer!
“Is This It” by The Strokes is an album filled with lively and angsty instrumentals paired with lyrics about being young, reckless, and in love. The vocals throughout this album have a distorted tone as if Julian Casablancas, the lead singer of The Strokes, is singing to the audience through a telephone. With its punchy, garage rock sound and its careless mantra, this album is the perfect soundtrack for a movie revolving around teenagers living their best lives during summer.
My best friend recommended this album to me, and it is now my duty to recommend it to others.
This album consists of a total of 11 tracks with a run time of 35 minutes. It contains some of their most famous songs like “Last Nite” and “Someday.” Out of all the well-curated songs on this album, a few songs in particular stood out to me: “Is This It” and “Hard To Explain.”
“Is This It” is a track about finally entering the glorified world of adulthood and being very disappointed in what little it has to offer. The feeling of disappointment is not only constructed through the lyrics but also in the lazy and dissatisfied sound of Casablanca’s singing. The instrumentals also reflect this, as it is very repetitive and uneasy.
Even though I am only in high school, I can definitely relate to this song. Growing up, high school is depicted as a fun, wild, freeing experience; however, the only “wild” thing I’m doing is staying up past 11 p.m. doing English homework. Finally getting to an age or stage in your life that is so frequently praised stirs up a lot of confusion. You know it is supposed to be enjoyable, but most of the time, you can not determine why. It leaves you questioning, “Is this it?”
“Hard To Explain” is not only about seeing the world through a different lens than your peers, but also the difficulty of remaining genuine when transitioning from childhood to adulthood. The song feels like an exciting late night with special help from the guitar, drums, and bass.
Casablancas sings, “We shared some ideas / All obsessed with fame, says we’re all the same / Oh, I don’t see it that way.” With these lyrics, he is referring to fellow music artists. They grew up and made their way into the music industry, but they have let fame corrupt them, causing them to stray away from any morals and distract them from their true selves. By Casablancas implying that he does not think that way, he conveys that he tries to stay genuine throughout this transition from a random boy to a rockstar, but he also states that the entire situation and the feelings caused by it is “hard to explain.”
Now, I know that I said this about the last song, but this song really applies to high schoolers. When transitioning from another school, the thought of getting older gets to people's heads. Teenagers tend to stop living for themselves and start living for others, losing their identity. Even if you do not notice it, I guarantee you that there was a light inside you that was dimmed because it was “too bright” for others.
These two songs are just a fraction of the amazing tracks within this album. If you want some music that makes you feel young and free while also touching on relatable topics, this is definitely the album for you!
So, roll down your windows, let the wind blow through your hair, turn up the volume, and blast “Is This It.”
