Arctic Monkeys' Humbug - 10 Years On: Ranking The Tracks From Worst To Best
4. The Fire And The Thud
Humbug's overwhelming sensuality may have arisen from Turner's heavily-publicised relationship with TV star and all-round IT girl Alexa Chung, with the pair easily one of the most-photographed couples of their era. Glowering sexuality aside, Humbug was also the period where Turner's romantic qualities began to push their way to the forefront of his work. And it's hard not to attribute this to the frontman's blossoming relationship.
"The Fire And The Thud" is one such example of the lead singer's growing penchant for lovesick poetry and feels small-scale and intimate enough to have actually been presented as a solo ballad. Turner's work with The Last Shadow Puppets had also showcased his softer side, and the sepia-tinted romanticism that became such a cornerstone of that side project's work is evident here in spades.
"The day after you stole my heart, everything I touched told me it would be better shared with you" wails Turner just before the track shifts into a storming rocker. Chung and Turner's romance may have eventually faltered, but "The Fire And The Thud" only improves with age. Humbug's best and brightest hidden treasure.