Arctic Monkeys — The Car — Album Review
Alternative | Indie | Rock
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Arctic Monkeys need no introduction really. However, I still feel obliged to write about how I feel about their music personally.
They were one of my childhood bands, with projects like their debut album, 2006’s Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, and their 2007 sophomore Favourite Worst Nightmares, especially stick out as some true classic albums. I feel that the same fares for a lot of other Arctic Monkeys fans and music listeners alike.
We also shouldn’t forget the band’s 2013 album either; titled AM, it seemed to have a general consensus for being amongst many music critics favourite albums of the entirety of the 2010’s, largely thanks to the sinister and gritty soundscapes that made this album one that set the bar for modern rock.
A primary thing that all three of the aforementioned albums have in common, is just how much grit these albums all share. It allows all three projects to stand as truly engaging and relatable pieces, and are arguably the three biggest reasons why Arctic Monkeys are a band whose reputation precedes them.
Something weird happened in 2018, however, in the form of the band’s sixth album. Titled Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, this would be the album to follow up and contend with the masterpiece that is AM. I remember just how many people (myself included) had high hopes for this record. However, to say their change in style was drastic is a gross understatement.
I had to respect that Arctic Monkeys virtually did a full 180 on their style, trading their signature sinister grit for a more ambient and luxurious soundscape. However, there was no denying that it left a polarising and bitter taste in the mouths of many listeners.
I recall stating, in my review for the album (all the way back in my days of using Blogger), that their sound had almost felt “Americanised”. And while I appreciated the change, it felt as if their roots had rotted.
After the gap between AM and Tranquility Base, it comes as no surprise that fans would have to wait a while again for the release of their next record. But if the band performing at Reading & Leeds festival this year meant anything, it was that a new album was imminent. And so, that came to be true. Arctic Monkeys have now released their seventh studio album. Its name; The Car.
And that title pretty much summed up my feelings prior to the albums release, in the sense that I felt as blandly towards it as the title is bland. The teaser tracks that led up to such an album didn’t exactly heighten up my excitement either, with both “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” and “Body Paint” having the same level of energy as elevator music. I remember listening to the former teaser and thinking “how is a live audience supposed to react to this?” Even singing along to the track is tricky with Alex Turner’s borderline randomised lyrics.
Going into the full album though, it came to my realisation quickly that what Arctic Monkeys have done is essentially double down on the style of Tranquility Base; though I personally don’t like it very much, even with a new lick of paint.
However, it needs to be stated that there are a few tracks scattered across the album that did pleasantly surprise me. While we didn’t exactly get the gritty tracks we all know and love on The Car, there were some that highlighted their new style in a more enjoyable way. Tracks like “Sculptures Of Anything Goes”, “Big Ideas” and “Hello You” come to mind, of course along with the track “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am” (the best track on the album; no contest).
What makes The Car ever-so-slightly different to its predecessor, is just how much Arctic Monkeys love to implement the use of strings. And as highlighted earlier, it is spread across a range of tracks that either hit or miss. Having said that though, I would argue that this was one of my favourite elements of the new album.
In conclusion, The Car does show glimmers of a direction that Arctic Monkeys are going in that I could actually see myself enjoying (as long as they know what makes them enjoyable, and follow through). Needless to say, however, it still seems like they have a long way to go.
Favourite Tracks: I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am | Big Ideas | Hello You
Least Favourite Tracks: There’d Better Be A Mirrorball | Mr Schwartz
Domino Recording Co
