Review Summary: Will you pour me one for the road?
Five albums in and Arctic Monkeys finally made America. Always considered a definitive "lad band", Music to get drunk, start fights and wear parkas too, along with Oasis and The Stone Roses, Arctic Monkeys had slowly been trying to deviate from their early image. Once garage rock Titans, they began experimenting with stoner desert rock on 'Humbug' and psychedelic dream pop on 'Suck It And See'. It's up to debate wether these were succesful experiments but for their 5th record, they took another 180°. This time into a more bluesy hard rock style. It was a more polished and commercial sound from their previous two records and fittingly enough, the single 'Do I Wanna Know?' Charted in America. Arctic Monkeys went from a typical British indie band to a band everyone was in to. Its parent record 'AM' hit no 1 around the World and was critically acclaimed. Even NME placed it on their '500 greatest albums of all time', only a month after its release. So, basically it was popular. But is it good? Many hardcore Arctic Monkeys fans consider it to be their weakest record in spite of its popularity. Is it really that bad? Let's take a look and see.
Musically, AM is a new direction for the band. While the heavy Garage rock influences and psychedelic leanings of their first few records remain, the album takes a heavier Blues approach. Quick and aggressive guitar lines are replaced by blazing riffs. The band did note a Black Sabbath influence on the album and it shows. Musically it's definitely the band's heaviest release. The opener 'Do I Wanna Know?' Combines a Black Keys-esq riff and distorted fuzz bass to create a thumping sleazy sound. It's a damn fine opener and this style is expanded on tracks like 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High', a snarling funk rock stomper and the sexually charged 'Arabella'. Highlights in this style include the explosive 'R U Mine?' And its spectacular guitar solo and world shattering drums and the glam rock thunder of 'Snap Out Of It'. The boys get mellow on the gorgeous lighters-in-the-air ballad 'No. 1 Party Anthem' and the romantic slow jam ending 'I Wanna Be Yours' which features lyrics from fellow northerner John Cooper Clarke. It's a funky, hard rocking LP which show cases some truly fine musicianship from the boys. Matt Helders' hip hop influenced drumming and Nick O'Malley's funk bass lines give the record a noted African American influence, with the boys noted hip hop duo OutKast as another noted influence. While only a minor gripe, personally I wish the band had kept a more noted psychedelic style in some tracks, similar to Humbug. The only slightly psychedelic tracks the sparse lonely guitar track 'Mad Sounds' (ironically the album's low point) and the swirling skiffle sounding track 'Fireside'. Still this isn't a big issue, and the explosive hard rock most present on the album is a welcome addition.
Another noted difference is Alex Turner's lyrics. While more down to earth and realistic on their first two records, his writing took a sudden turn into surreal wordplay and poetic descriptions. AM strips this back, and the record's lyrics mainly focus on one thing. Hard ***ing. It's a gritty record, one that Queens of The Stone Age guitarist Josh Homme, who appears on 'Knee Socks' called an "exciting, sleazy discotheque album". Indeed Alex's greasy lyrics slide in perfectly with the album's filthy funk sound. While his wordplay and unique prose is still present on a few tracks (notably 'Arabella' and 'R U Mine?'), it's a more Down to earth record, wether it's detailing longing for someone ('Do I Wanna Know?'), slow dancing in a club ('No. 1 Party Anthem') or just straight up deep sticky lust ('Knee-Socks'), AM is definitely a much more realistic record per say.
Now, what's wrong with this album? Well, not much really. To be honest, the album is brilliantly produced with heavy emphasis on bass and drum grooves. The guitar is loud and clear as is Turner and the fantastic backing vocals from Helders and O'Malley mesh beautiful, notably on 'One For The Road' and 'Snap Out Of It'. But there are two faults. 'I Want It All' and 'Mad Sounds'. They're not very good. While I Want It All sports a swirling guitar riff, the track focuses mainly on the backing
Vocals which for some reason sound shrill and awkward here. Mad Sounds is just painfully boring and Turner sounds considerably bored to death while recording. While I'm sure some love these tracks, they're huge slights on an otherwise pretty damn flawless record that sadly bring it down a touch. Other than that, AM is a gloriously hard rocking funky album oozing with sex jams and passion. Another modern gem.
Standout tracks:
Do I Wanna Know?
R U Mine?
Arabella
No 1. Party Anthem
Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?
Snap Out Of It
Knee-Socks
Standout lyrics:
"Do I Wanna Know if this feeling flows both ways?" - Do I Wanna Know?
"Call off the search for your soul or put it on hold again
She's having a sly indoor smoke,
She calls the folks who run this her oldest friends,
Sipping her drink and laughing at imaginary jokes" - No. 1 Party Anthem
"It's harder and harder to get you to listen
More I get through the gears
Incapable of making alright decisions
And having bad ideas" - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?
