14 MUSIC
This is one of those albums that almost any person who has a keen interest in listening to something other than Miley Cyrus screeching about twerking has to own. This album was released on the 30th of July 2001, and immediately went to number two in the UK album charts, renowned for its sexual cover art which was deemed to explicit for America who replaced it with an image of some blue pattern on an orange background.
The band who formed in New York in 1997 consists of: Julian Casablancas - Vocals, Nikolai Fraiture - Base, Albert Hammond Jnr - Guitar, Fabrizio Moretti - Drums and Nick Valensi - Guitar. despite their very colourful names all of these men are from New York, although frontman Julian Casablancas went to boarding school in Switzerland.
The album opens with title track "Is This It" with a fantastic blend of Casablancas drawling narrative, some melodic guitar and some joyful banging on the drums by Valensi gives towards a very good opening track. We are suddenly thrown into a heavier, faster, raspier tune with "The Modern Age" one of the three singles released from this album, and you can see why. With the steady ensemble up of guitar base and drums all building up to Casablancas' explosion of vocals at the chorus makes your ears melt. Best song on the album.