THE STROKES - Is This It - Ltd Edition Red Vinyl

Pressed on transparent red vinyl, riding a wave of well-deserved acclaim rooted in precision and a self-assured attitude, The Strokes deliver a rock and roll remedy to the deluge of boy bands, teen divas, and moody rap-rock groups. Despite the quintet's prep-school origins, their sonic essence emerges from the same primitive origins that birthed iconic New York legends like the New York Dolls, the Modern Lovers, and the Velvet Underground. Clocking in at a succinct 36 minutes, "Is This It" fills its flawlessly measured duration with stellar compositions, drawing inspiration from a diverse musical palette.

Standouts include "Last Nite," with its persistent Motown backbeat and a jagged, Johnny Thunders-esque guitar solo, "Barely Legal," reminiscent of an 1980s-era Cure fronted by a spirited Iggy Pop, and the melodic "Someday," adorned with a hairshirt of vulnerability stemming from a turbulent breakup. While frontman Julian Casablancas, son of Elite Models founder John, drawls with a Lou Reed-esque quality through a battered intercom, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. pay homage to Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, skillfully intertwining sinewy chords to striking effect on the angular "The Modern Age" and the equally neurotic "Alone, Together."