 |
 |
 |
 |
|
You are here...
ENTRY |
October 05, 2009
Posted by kramer
A lot has been said about the Arctic Monkeys hard driving sound. Their first two studio releases have seen a constant rotation on my IPOD for when I work out or when I am generally angry at the world. Alex Turner’s accent and lyrics are perfect for that mood when you just are PO’d at everything around you and you need a release. I believe that is the reason that many people were completely shocked when they released their 3rd studio disc and it was much darker, slower and complex than their previous works.
It is obvious that the band wanted to go into a completely different direction with this effort. Per the band, they listened to a lot of Hendrix and Cream prior to laying down the tracks. The 3rd effort is anywhere near as immediately accessible as their first two discs. I had to listen to it 5 or 6 times before I really started to understand the different sound that the band was looking to create.
As the band completely recorded HUMBUG in the USA, it is only fitting that out of the 10 tracks, 7 of them were produced by Queens of the Stone Age member, Josh Homme. A lot of fans have been upset about the influence he had on their sound and that they now sound like another US alternative band. I disagree. The music on HUMBUG still blatantly has their touch. Alex Turner has made HUGE strides as a songwriter and lyricist and it shows on this effort.
Even though the Arctic Monkeys are no where near as big in the USA as they are in the UK, they deserve a listen. I would recommend starting with some of their previous work (notably their debut WHATEVER PEOPLE SAY I AM, THAT’S WHAT I’M NOT). If you like what you hear, give HUMBUG a try and don’t discard it if you don’t enjoy it after 1 or 2 listens. As I stated, the disc is definitely a “grower” and you have to give it a few spins before it really hits home.
Try tracks: My Propeller; Fire and the Thud; Dance Little Liar
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.musicbath.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/148
