Arctic Monkeys: 10 Essential B-Sides Every Fan Must Hear

6. Sketchead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEfpkuCPjXs Find it: 'Cornerstone' (2009) On the cusp of Humbug's release, Nick O'Malley expressed a mild regret that 'Sketchead' didn't make the cut for the album itself, coining it as one of the maddest recordings the band had completed. The circus-in-the-desert vibe that rings through 'Crying Lightning' and 'Pretty Visitors' is echoed here, in two minutes of bizarre, taut thunder. The star of the show is Helders, whose kit takes one hell of a beating with a series of tempestuous tom rolls which exhibit the drummer at his most wonderfully adroit. Praise should also (as per usual) be given to Turner, who by this time had found a way to twin his astoundingly vivid imagery with even more unpredictable cadences. All through 'Sketchead', Turner spiels about a certain nemesis with measurement-defying velocity, though his words resonate as clearly as the choruses of his band's biggest anthems. Some of his finest observations and metaphors are harvested in these two minutes, such as the following beauty: "Sketchead / That cumbersome protagonist / The pips in your quince / The eye behind the spyhole / The itch you can't itch in your ear / And the knock that shattered your packet of peppermints." There's definitely credence to O'Malley's claims. It was tough choosing between this and the equally excellent - but totally different - 'Catapult' (a personal favourite of Queens of the Stone Age man Joshua Homme himself), which is highly recommended to any fans of the Monkeys' moodier work. Also Try: 'Catapult'