With their first album (Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, 2006) the Arctic Monkeys rode upon an enormous wave of hype with reckless and youthful abandon. A lesser band would have buckled under the pressure. Luckily for this Sheffield quartet, they did more than just walk the talk: they stomped, screamed and fought to justify the hype they were granted by providing a tautly constructed 40 minute disc full of energetic and raw post-punk aggression.
Since then, the boys have forged one of the most consistently brilliant discographies of the past decade packed with fistfulls of fun and nuance. As such, it’s no surprise that AM continues this tradition. Yes, AM is fucking awesome. Turner and Co. have crafted one of the best, if not the best album of the year.
What makes AM so great is the obvious growth the band have undergone. It channels everything the young rockers are known for. AM manages to recall the best moments of 70’s and contemporary punk, new-wave and garage with equal measure. Disco, hip-hop bravado snakes throughout many of the tracks which flirts perfectly with Alex Turner’s (vocals, guitar and main songwriter) trademark lyrical precision, making his vocal performances more engaging than ever. Turner’s effortless ability to spout complex and clear rhymes sets him apart from other would-be similar frontmen, and transforms songs into incredible narrative experiences.
AM constantly straddles an oblique line between white knuckled tension and cool-as-a-cat calculation, and the results are phenomenal. Turner’s songwriting has never been more adventurous and yet familiar than it has here.
Standout tracks include the album’s leading single, ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ which slowly builds up into a grinding, hot, wet kiss of tension which doesn’t relent until track 2 rolls in. ‘Arabella’ is another great one, an upbeat romp with an incredible sense of flow which is owed to Turner’s vocals (the lyrics, again, I cannot emphasise how great his delivery of them is) and a cat-and-mouse interplay between guitars. Then there’s ‘Snap Out Of It’, a bouncey, harmonic pop-rocker with one of the catchiest choruses you’ll hear all year.
Coming in at 40 minutes long, AM breezes by, being neither overbearing nor understated at any moment. It’s a tight and easy package to consume and it’s hard to think of a social scenario it wouldn’t suit.
AM is more than just an album though, it’s a coming of age tale for “Our Generation’s Most Important Band”. The Arctic Monkeys now need no introduction, no wild journalistic rhetoric to bolster their importance. These boys have become men, and their music reflects that.
These young men have looked the bull in the eye, grabbed it by the horns and come out unscathed. Needless to say, the future of this young, brilliant band is looking ridiculously bright. For now though, we can happily bask in the light of their current triumph.
10/10
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