Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

"call me crazy, but was this album ever even announced in advance? I was checking up on how the AMs were doing literally just a couple months ago, and they were still recorded as officially being "On Hiatus", with no news/announcements AT ALL about a potential new album in the works. Did it really come out of nowhere?"



Around December 2016 there was an Instagram post from Matt Helders that they were in Sheffield, in their old rehearsal space, just jamming together. Than in September of last year there was a twitter post (I think from their label) that they were finishing up the recording of a new album in France. Then about a month ago the album was announced with a youtube video, and it was reported that all the singles are coming after the album is already out, and nothing to be released as a promo single before the full album is out.

Album Rating: 4.0

I haven’t been this intrigued by an Arctic Monkeys album since the debut and that was underwhelming due to the sheer hype of the thing.



This on the other hand has come from nowhere and for a ‘mainstream’ band is bloody refreshing.

I definitely dig it.

Album Rating: 1.5

Listening to the first few tunes again...it's funny he only does the Bowie thing tracks 5 and 6.



They've gone for that 'faded postcard' vibe with the production but the music is just so damn pedestrian - I get they wanted to evoke a bygone era and a sort of low rent seaside establishment vibe but it's just so unremittingly flat. Flat as a pancake. So the music does nowt.



Alex Turner sounds like a mug throughout according to my dubious sensibilities - I see that if you love the man that's your way in, but this is a fanboy job through and through. I don't feel him.

Album Rating: 4.0

He’s probably a massive fucking skag head tbh

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

"Alex Turner sounds like a mug throughout according to my dubious sensibilities - I see that if you love the man that's your way in, but this is a fanboy job through and through. I don't feel him."



Ok

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

their music and lyrics becomes progressively more shit, the more yankee hipster turner's hairdo gets..

Album Rating: 4.0

I’d kill for that grown out Elvis sweptback quiff thing.

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

i used to have my hair like that back when i sold tic tacs to college kids and told them it was ecstasy..

Album Rating: 1.5

At this stage I'd take anything, my hairline has thrown in the towel

Album Rating: 4.0

Wear a grown out Elvis swept back quiff thing wig and then sell tic tacs to kids.

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

I'm afraid to listen to this, after just the opening line. FML

Album Rating: 3.0

I remember when music sites made news articles out of the opening lines from this lmao talk about modern journalism



honestly besides getting all that ass why the fuck would you want to be one of the strokes

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

Why is this actually a Richard Cheese album.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Four out of Five is a good tune, I'm not really crazy about anything else. I can't say I hate it though.





Has anyone else seen Alex Turner after this release? He gets behind a piano once and thinks he's Tom Waits.

Album Rating: 1.5

Richard Cheese was smart enough to cover established rock standards



So worse than Richard Cheese?

Album Rating: 3.4 | Sound Off

"the music is just so damn pedestrian" no more than Suck It and AM. All are equally derivative of other artists/bands too, just in different ways.

I listened to this twice more today. The best songs are the first four, Monster Truck, and Ultracheese. A lot of these songs sound unfinished, like they just end, and there's no real build-up or progression happening anywhere. The style is cool and I like the instrumentation though, it is refreshing as zak said.

Well daaamn, all that hate

DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDEEEEEEEEEEEE

THIS IS AMAZING

This is much better than the shitty AM.

Album Rating: 4.0

If I was in a beach bar with a couple of mates, 6 pints in as the sun set over the still water and deserted sands this would be a hard 4.5 tbh

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

It's only marginally better than Boarding House Reach, and that's thanks to Four Out of Five being the only redeeming track. The rest is just bland, uninspired garbage.