ARCTIC MONKEYS - AM
Review
It's been just over two years since Alex Turner and Co released their 4th LP, "Suck It And See" - an album that saw Arctic Monkeys open the blinds, lie down on their metaphorical bed of success and relax into an effortless cool, combining fuzz-driven biker anthems with laid back strum-alongs.
So with all four Monkeys relocating to LA, questions were being raised over whether this was going to change their sound for the worse, better or at all. There's only one way to find out...
So after receiving my copy three days prior to the official release (praise the lord for pre-order), I instinctively shoved it into my CD player and cranked up the volume. Firstly, you're greeted by the familiarity of "Do I Wanna Know?" and "R U Mine?" - two songs cut from the same cloth both lyrically and musically, with Jamie Cooke and Alex Turner performing ground-shaking riffs that drive both songs along. Although there are no surprises, the songs still pack the same punch they did when they were unleashed as separate singles.
The first real shock of the record comes in the shape of "One For The Road". Opening with R & B style falsettos courtesy of Matt Helders, the songs falls into a massive hip-hop beat that echoes throughout the song. The lyrics are as impressive as ever, with sexual one-liners such as "there's no need to show me round baby, I feel like I've been here before" giving this song a tone that has not been found in much of their previous work. This is the track that really sets the tone for the rest of the album.
"Arabella" opens in a similar fashion, before ripping into a Sabbath/Zeppelin style riff that resonates to your very core. "I Want It All" diverts the record into a different direction, recalling the glam-rock vibes of T-Rex with another killer riff and a hook to match.
The real change of tone comes in the next track, "Number 1 Party Anthem". Telling tales of LA nightlife, Alex Turner sings a wistful lullaby which marks one of the albums most beautiful and reflective moments, harking back to the narrative lyrical style adopted in the "Whatever People Say I Am..." era. This pace is continued in "Mad Sounds", which is based on a hook of "ooh la la la's" that would have been unthinkable back in 2006.
"Fireside" sees the band go back to the darker tones of "Humbug", with the song carried by a Smiths-esque acoustic guitar progression courtesy of Bill Ryder-Jones of The Coral. "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" reveals their knack for writing a subtle, understated song that still packs enough fire to become a hit single. Already receiving chart success, this track is surely to be a stand-out for most people.
"Snap Out Of It" shows Arctic Monkeys at their poppiest yet; a bouncing piano riff accompanied by high-range vocals makes for wonderful song, one that will surely see Turner downing his guitar and shaking his newly-found leather hips when they embark on a UK tour later this year.
As the album draws to it's close, the quality of the songs remains high, showing that the band have really concentrated on making an "album" - an art-form forgotten by many of today's "single" generation. "Knee Socks" picks up where "Arabella" left off, with the added extra of Joshua Homme on backing vocals, providing an unmistakable drone which propels this song to new heights.
The album closer - "I Wanna Be Yours" - takes it's lyrics from a John Cooper Clarke poem, yet it's the Monkey's first ever use of a drum machine that steals the show, providing a robotic rhythm for the "spaghetti-western" guitars, that would sound equally at home on The Last Shadow Puppets record as it would on a cowboy movie.
So have Arctic Monkeys managed to maintain their astonishingly good track record for making a hit album? In my opinion yes. And from the good things I have been hearing, this album looks likely to be their fifth number one album in a row. Yes; they've changed, but they certainly haven't downgraded. This album is just another brick in the wall for the four lads from High Green, a wall that will one day be so tall, they may be able to reach the dizzying heights of Rock and Rolls A-Listers.
