Every Arctic Monkeys Album Ranked Worst To Best

Second album syndrome is a challenge that many bands suffers from and it could be argued that Arctic Monkeys struggled with this but only against the extremely high bar they set for themselves.

It does a good job of not falling into the trap many second albums fall into which is to just do more of the same in an attempt to appease their original audience. This feels neither as visceral or urgent as their first effort but a more sanitised approach with more accessible tracks like 'Fluorescent Adolescent' which quickly became an unusual anthem of a generation in clubs across the country. It does however feel like an album of hits and misses with some lyrics feeling a bit forced like the opening line of track eight: "this house is a circus, berserk as f**k."

Any album worth its salt should have a strong opening and a triumphant ending and Favourite Worst Nightmare delivers this with its rockiest number the band have produced in 'Brianstorm' and finishing with the powerfully charged '505'. After their nonstop debut album, this offering feels like it stops for some reflection with 'Only Ones Who Know' amongst others but whether this works within the whole album is debatable.