I’ve never been one to hide away my laissez-faire attitude towards Arctic Monkeys. Although I’ve always respected their abilities, to me they’ve never really been a band to excite, evoke or stir any real interest. But with AM, their fifth studio album, that particular tide could well be turning, as the record hosts a more grounded, versatile, and dare I say “mature” band — one whose broader scope is beginning to significantly heat up my chilly indifferences of old.
For those who weren’t ecstatic about the signs of alteration on the last album, Suck It and See, and for those hoping AM is a return to the band’s roots, I’m afraid you’re fit for disappointment. Their time stateside has not just moved them further away from home geographically, but stylistically, too. There’s still a knowingly playful nature to their lyrical output, but it’s more seasoned than it is smug. Also, though Alex Turner’s songwriting has ventured beyond cigarettes outside the discotheque and into the lap of 20-somethings’ Americana, it feels less niche and more accessible, but just as distinct.
Sonically, though, the Monkeys have truly found more personal growth. Recently, I saw that Dr. Dre of all people served as an influence for AM, and as weird as that sounds, you can definitely hear an essence of the hip-hop icon circa 2001 lingering within the instrumentation — the finger-picked guitar patterns on “One for the Road” and “Arabella” being prime examples. The latter, aside from being a personal highlight, also sees the group summon their inner Sabbath, a move which, alongside the falsetto harmonies and desert rock riffs (a sound which could well have been contracted from their recent alliance with Josh Homme), has seen the UK quartet form a harder, sharper, rougher, more direct and dense rock ‘n’ roll demeanor. With slower rhythms and more deliberate, precise movements in the mix too, it’s safe to say Arctic Monkeys’ body of sound casts a much curvier silhouette, and I for one think it’s a whole lot sexier for doing so.