If there's one thing that has come to define the 2000s, it's cynicism. As the internet brought limitless information to everyone willing to seek it, surprise and excitement suddenly became uncool. Everybody had the means to be a critic, a pessimism exacerbated by 9/11 and its world-changing ramifications. The Strokes managed to embody this numbing sensation while simultaneously mocking it, delivering an album which is now regarded as the ultimate exhibition of slacker-cool. Is This It opens not with a bang, but with a sleepy title track, each instrument seemingly played with maximum reluctance and minimal effort. Things pick up in the form of garage-rocking 'Last Nite' and nostalgic 'Someday', but a "So what?" attitude prevails throughout. With a loud yawn, The Strokes effortlessly predicted the cultural direction of the 21st direction and - by taking on the role of ultimate slackers themselves - may just have saved popular music from sliding into an unmotivated haze. Decade Defining Track: Is This It What's your most defining album from the 2000s? Let us know in the comments!
