Arctic Monkeys – Humbug

Most indie bands with a spectacular first album fade away with the second. It’s a phenomenon commonly seen in the scene, and pardon the alliteration there. But the Arctic Monkeys, being the Arctic Monkeys are naturally the exception to that ominous rule.

The Monkeys return with Humbug, armed with an expansive sound courtesy Josh Homme from QOTSA taking over production duties. A distinctly heavy, more spaced out sound sets this album apart from Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007) and Whatever People Say (2006). Alex Turner sticks to the formula that seems to work like a charm song after song – the snide social commentary dancing around the Black Sabbath like riffage.

The album kicks off with My Propeller, guided along by some trippy bass lines and haunting backing vocals. The song seems to be going somewhere, but it kinda doesn’t, instead seeming like a long drawn out introduction to Crying Lightning, the next song on the album.

Statutory Warning: When you start playing the intro to Crying Lightning, please bear in mind that you are about to listen to the genius of Alex Turner unleashed in nearly its full fury. The band has come of age with Turner’s angry snarl mellowed down to a lament-laden croon full of irony.

The Last Shadow Puppets, Alex Turner’s side project have a clear influence on the new Arctic Monkeys record, with James Ford also credited as one of the producers. “Potion Approaching” is the closest approximation to the old Arctic Monkeys sound found on the record, and features the propulsive rhythms of drummer Matt Helders and bassist Nick O’Malley, who are locked in and tight throughout the song, but the song is a little guilty of being lyrically light-weight and meanders into yet another Doors-style jam at the end. When you make your way through the admittedly boring Fire and the Thud, you come to what is the albums gem, Cornerstone. The arrangements, the tongue in cheek lyrics and you have the Arctic Monkeys at their new best.

A lot of the old Monkeys fans might find the album a digression from the original master plan, but the direction that Turner, Cook, Helders and O’Malley seem to have chosen is one that should take the band on a new musical journey. What the album does come across as guilty of, is trying to take notes from too many influences and blending them in a thin three and a half minutes, especially on songs like Pretty Visitors. The Monkeys stick fast to their tradition of closing albums out with a slow, meandering track and The Jeweller’s Hand doesn’t disappoint at all.

A lot of the catchy hooks are gone from the Arctic Monkeys, what remains is the truest gems amongst some ruins.

Photo Courtesy: www.arcticmonkeys.com