Getting groovier and way more soulful, the guys we used to know well have done some changing, which is
usually always for the best. Arctic Monkeys, through their first four albums, always maintained a clever, wordy, and most of the time impressive amount of songs. Raucous, fun, catchy, and entertaining, this Sheffield quartet's has had its fair share of evolving. Listen to their very first single and their latest single, and, sure, you'll find some similarities, but, overall, they aren't still spitting out the same track over and over. However, there's still a large amount of impact missing from
AM, their funkiest, but least cohesive album.
1. Do I Wanna Know?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpOSxM0rNPM Slow, sultry, and psychedelic, the lead single from
AM is the song you'd listen to and expect more. Beyond the idea of "catchy," 'Do I Wanna Know?' finds Alex Turner taking the spotlight and crooning at his best. All over this track, Turner's vocals are arguably the most captivating of all Arctic Monkeys' tracks. Slow, plucked rhythms strut throughout, being urgent and smooth at the very same. The drum track is surprisingly reserved and held back to an incredibly simple beat, which is hardly the case for many Arctic Monkeys tracks. By the time the track picks up and fades away, you're asking for more. And it's sad that you won't get it.
RATING: 5/5
2. R U Mine?
Pretty much the polar opposite of the previous track, numero dos finds the band kicking everything to 11 and head-banging incessantly. With a funky bassline in the verse, all of this track echoes vintage Monkeys, if not a little faster and heavier than older tracks. This track was a Record Store Day single in February of 2012, so it's one that Monkeys' fans should be familiar with. Turner spits hot fire, speaking a million words a minute, just like he did in the good ol' days. Note that I'm not just wishing for another vintage Monkeys release. 'R U Mine?' just feels right at home on
Favorite Worst Nightmare. RATING: 4.75/5