Strokes ~ Is This It?

Is This It is the debut studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was first released on July 30, 2001, in Australia, with RCA Records handling the release internationally and Rough Trade Records handling the United Kingdom release. It was recorded at Transporterraum in New York City with producer Gordon Raphael during March and April 2001. For their debut, the band strived to capture a simple sound that was not significantly enhanced in the studio. Building on their 2001 EP The Modern Age, the band members molded compositions largely through live takes during recording sessions, while and lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas continued to detail the lives and relationships of urban youth.

Following the album's completion, the Strokes embarked on a promotional world tour before its release. The album was released gradually in different countries as their tour continued, with it being released in Japan on August 22 and the United Kingdom on August 27. The album's original cover photograph caused controversy for being too sexually explicit, and was replaced for the US market. Following the September 11 attacks in New York City and elsewhere in Northeastern United States, the American compact disc release was delayed from September 25 to October 9 and had its track list amended, with the song "New York City Cops" being removed and replaced with the newly written track "When It Started"; however, the American vinyl release still includes the track as a result of its release falling on September 11. Three singles were released from the album: "Hard to Explain", "Last Nite", and "Someday".

1 Is This It

2 The Modern Age

3 Soma

4 Barely Legal

5 Someday

6 Alone Together

7 Last Nite

8 Hard to Explain

9 When It Started

10 Trying Your Luck

11 Take It or Leave It