Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
In January 2006, Arctic Monkeys released their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. It was an album that was highly anticipated, well received by the media and saw them headline Glastonbury a year later almost on the back of that success. I also consider it the last great album of the boom of indie rock in the mainstream as imitators tried their best to invade the charts and ride the wave of the Sheffield quartet’s success. It would be very easy for them to keep making the kind of songs that featured on their first album but their follow up, Favourite Worst Nightmare, proved that they were willing to evolve as a band. The ‘fast and the furious’ nature of their debut was still there but it all sounded far sharper, far more concise, and didn’t have the feeling of it being a rushed album.
Their rise was spotted by Josh Homme, who fell in love with the band and invited them on tour in 2007 to support Queens Of The Stone Age at their Houston show. For the band, this was something of a dream realised as they had long been admirers of the band. This mutual appreciation society led to Josh’s studio in the desert where recording sessions began for third album, Humbug, which was released on Monday. The band’s sessions also took them to New York where longtime collaborator James Ford would help them in production. After listening to the album a few times now, this isn’t for the casual fan. Humbug is still an Arctic Monkeys album but the sounds that made them distinguishable on their debut are no longer there. Instead it is replaced by a darker, more riff-laden, heavier sound that is certainly an evolution from their previous album.
Alex Turner, the lead vocalist, is one of the more noticeable changes. Before he sounded like a cheeky chappie who went into details about stories from his beloved Sheffield involving scummy men, riot vans and people in knackered Converse shoes. Now, he’s more personal in his songwriting and his voice is a lot huskier than it used to be. For example, let’s take the first track, My Propeller. The innuendo of lyrics like ‘Coax me out, my love/And have a spin of my propeller,’ and ‘My propeller won’t spin and I can’t get it started on my own,’ are a world away from the grittiness of Turner’s previous writings. Certain lyrics stand out more than others and I’m pretty sure a T-shirt slogan is waiting to be made out of the line from Pretty Visitors, ‘What came first? The chicken or the dickhead?’
The band have also changed musically as well. As well as the usual things when a band matures (they are tighter, more solid etc), all the skills of the all band members are on show here, from the choppy guitars, effects-laden guitar melodies and beefy riffs to the drumming of Matt Helders (who, along with Matt Tong from Bloc Party, has produced some of the best rhythms of the decade). There is also a sound on this album that feels far more expansive, yet they haven’t added any further instruments other than guitars, bass, drums and a synth organ. Those who stuck through the band’s career so far will find this a welcome continuation of their sound but those who only know their most well known hits will take a while to get their teeth into this.
When Humbug really works, you have tracks that can rank as some of the band’s best. Pretty Visitors is the band’s heaviest days as Turner spits out rhymes that are poetic sounding against a rough and angry backdrop of riffs and breakneck drumming. Dangerous Animals and Potion Approaching are both songs that expand on the sounds of Favourite Worst Nightmare with a bit more swagger (especially the breakdown in Potion Approaching), confirming that Homme’s production has been a massive influence on their output. Even the softer moments can match the quality of the heavier moments, with both Secret Door and Cornerstone being heavily influenced by Turner’s time with Miles Kane as The Last Shadow Puppets.
However, there is something that is stopping me from hailing this album as the best Arctic Monkeys album. The problem is that there just isn’t enough consistency throughout, which is a real big shame. The band have tried to be as adventurous and as ambitious as possible and sometimes the sentiments just aren’t realised. Fire And The Thud and The Jeweller’s Hands take a while for them to sink in and even when they do they just do not as seem as good (or as memorable but I find that to be a pretty mute point) as the others. It’s as simple as that really.
So, how can one summarise Humbug? The first thing to be said is that the band deserve credit for not choosing the easy option and instead do what they want to, as the final product definitely shows a band that is progressing naturally, experimenting with new ideas. Not all of them are ideas that work but when they do work, it’s an enjoyable listen. At the start of the decade, I don’t think anyone would have predicted that a band called Arctic Monkeys would have gotten to a third album and be one of the UK’s most relevant guitar bands, but that is exactly what has happened. It’s also worth remembering that the band members are 23/24 years old, so their magnum opus may still yet be made. This, however, ain’t it.
RATING – 3/5
Like this? Try these!
Posted on August 26th, 2009 by Max
Filed under: Albums, Reviews
Add to favorites
Leave a Reply