arctic monkeys review
this is a review of the arctic monkeys' discography. i've listened to arctic monkeys in my early twenties or so, and even moreso within the past two years.
i initially started this for a friend of mine last summer as a primer for their music, but it turned into my thoughts on each album. i updated it as of november 12th of last year for another friend who wanted to see what i wrote.
i've since listened to and have come to appreciate "the car" more within the past few weeks, so this could get updated in the future. for now, i'd like a space for this that isn't google docs.
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)
ah yes, the album that shot them into the indie darling image that people hold onto. indie rock was biiiiig here but imo they set themselves apart from the rest with alex turner's vignettes of being in your 20s barhopping and having run-ins with romance, from a british pov. good garage rock vibes happening here.
Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007)
they seem to be finding their niche here while trying not to be the strokes 2.0, something a lot of indie rock bands needed to set themselves apart from. the strokes laid the foundation for this genre, it was up to groups in this genre to find their style. here, i can see them flesh this out.
Humbug (2009)
they picked up where 505 (FWN closer) left off. so so so soooooo cohesive, melodically especially; stellar songwriting. this album made me a fan for sure. they know how to close an album and it shows here especially (excluding the bonus track). seems like i find something new each listen.
Suck It and See (2011)
someone said this is the transitory album to AM and i see it. interesting segue, not their strongest to me, but i see a bitta FWN peeking through at times. not a bad album, just leaves much to be desired compared to Humbug's cohesion. still some good tracks tbh. high energy, could've been more organized.
AM (2013)
their most commercially palatable album, and most successful, it seems. more r&b influences and consistent time signatures. it's no wonder this blew up internationally. not a bad thing, just thinking of its accessibility compared to its predecessors. really reflective of the times, the shift into this sonic direction for a lot of artists in the early 2010s.
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018)
by all means a concept album revolving around science fiction and retrofuturism. their strongest album, lyrically and thematically. the drastic shift in direction has caused a lot of contention in the fanbase, to where people refer to this as "post-AM," when i'd argue AM was a shift if anything. huge fan, moreso by the day. truly a big brain album. i wouldn't recommend this off the bat to new fans but who knows. they've evolved, and are allowed to.
The Car (2022)
def more orchestral and chill, i can hear strong bowie influences here. jazzy and funky. i'm giving this another shot after going thru their more recent work. i'm a fan of orchestral arrangements alwayssss but the lyricism tapers off what TBH&C built up. not a bad thing, again, but with TBH&C being as strong as it is, how could you top that? but again, i'm giving it more listens, so take that as you will. a nice comedown, good lockdown album.
if i had to rank these, as of right now (7/25/24):
- Humbug
- Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
- Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
- Favourite Worst Nightmare
- The Car
- AM
- Suck It and See
updated rank (11/12/24):
- Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
- Humbug*
- Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
- Favourite Worst Nightmare
- The Car
- AM
- Suck It and See
*shifted down because of the way alex pronounces “vitamins”