reviewed by Tom-Tom
I started listening to Arctic Monkeys way back with their debut single. I loved their mix of spare instrumentation, choice cutting lyrics, and pulse thumping breakneck lead guitar intros in pieces like I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor and Leave Before the Lights Come On. Amongst the raw energy and memorable lines within the catchy melodies, there was a sort of moral center I found lacking in most other mainstream rock. Ten years later, I hoped to see what the group was up to and I splurged and bought all four of their first albums, from the mostly hits few misses Whatever They Say I am, That’s what I’m Not, onto the nearly perfect Favourite Worst Nightmare after which the band started to mellow out with much more ballads replacing the fierce tunes of old in Humbug. By the time I finished listening to Suck It and See, I was convinced Arctic Monkeys had settled into what could only be described as their “mature period.” There was much to enjoy with more iconic lines in Crying Lightning, She’s Thunderstorms, and the rhythmically entrancing Piledriver Waltz with its chord changes on every sixth beat on an ostensibly 4/4 time signature which melds seamlessly into the 3/4 demanded by the title. The lines “You look like you ate breakfast at the Heartbreak Hotel….Your waitress looks miserable and so was the food.” were redolent of bad days everywhere. The Everyman like nature of the scenarios introduced in the narrative of the lyrics were so relatable and populist but delivered in a clever and iconic style wholly the band’s own.
But where oh where has all that talent gone in the album AM? There is a liberal amount of falsetto backup vocals and very little actual direct lyrics after the initial opening tune where the guitar and vocals echo and sometimes double one another. There is much repetition in many rock and pop songs today but there seems to be nothing more than repetition of (for Arctic Monkeys) subpar melodies meant for boring elevator rides or lazy shopping days at the supermarket. I had hoped for a bit of the old razor edged hi-octane unleashing of all the group’s talents in the No.1 Party Anthem which, has a nice set up but, alas, remains another drowsy ballad.
The album finally picks up in the two pieces Mad Sounds and Fireside the latter of which has an urgent almost Latin feel in the minor chords on guitar. It’s probably the album’s best piece and yet bears a strong resemblance to Dave Matthews Band’s Warehouse. The album keeps its footing in Why Do You Only Call Me When You’re High? only to plunge into a sort of 80’s homage in Snap Out of It with more falsetto Muzak than I could handle. The backbeat itself sounds a lot like an inferior rendition of Hirai Ken and Namie Amuro’s blockbuster hit Grotesque. The album ends on the overly falsetto laden and repetitive Knee Socks and I Wanna Be Yours. One positive development with this album is that it made me how good we had it when even Suck It and See was all we had from the once great Arctic Monkeys. I can’t express how much it grieves me to say this. Maybe I’ll appreciate this album after I listen to their most recent release Traquility Base.
hallthorn reviews 