My relationship with Arctic Monkeys has always been a complicated one.
I never knew which project to appreciate most, and with the varying number of them (The Last Shadow Puppets and Alex Turner’s solo debut on the “Submarine” soundtrack, to name a couple) this task became more and more difficult. I always felt that I should believe the hype about the quartet — that it was revolutionary and fit the ticket for the next great British rock band. But I also couldn’t deny the thick Strokes-wannabe influences on earlier albums (the band has even been quoted saying it envies The Great Casablancas). So with all of these preconceived notions spinning in my head, I sat down with “AM,” ready to finally come to terms with my opinion on Arctic Monkeys.
Appropriately titled “AM,” the album gets to the root of who the band truly is, both as a group and as individual musicians. Drummer Matt Helders lends more backing vocals than ever, and rather than spitting out words in a thick English accent, vocalist Alex Turner croons his way through each track, growing more and more soulful as the record plays on. Part of what makes this album great is all of those who assisted in making it. The final track, “I Wanna Be Yours,” borrows lyrics from poet John Cooper Clarke and those words, paired with Turner’s impassioned voice, create an R&B feel that could rival the greats. This track is undoubtedly my favorite on the record.
Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme also appears on the record, lending his talents to the energetic “Knee Socks” and “One For The Road,” two songs that also demonstrate how much Turner’s writing style has matured, given his cited influences of Dr. Dre and other distinguished R&B musicians.
Probably the most well- received track on the album is “R U Mine?,” which served as the first single leading up to the album. It’s successful because it carries traces of “Suck It and See”-era Arctic Monkeys with a hint of what fans could expect from “AM.”
With the sultry, unexpected favorite, “Arabella,” Turner and company channel John Lennon both with the song’s ’60s-esque sound and lyrics: “Arabella’s got some interstellar-gator skin boots and a helter-skelter around her little finger and I ride it endlessly.”
The only thing about “AM” that worries me is how Arctic Monkeys will follow up a record of this magnitude. There have been rumors that the band might take a break after this one, and it honestly wouldn’t surprise me if they did, as “AM” definitely sits at the peak of Arctic Monkeys’ discography.
Grade: A
Rebecca Docter is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from Jackson, Miss.