Least Effective Sophomore Slump - Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
I don't know the exact statistic, but I'm pretty sure that, in Britain, every person bought eight copies of the band's debut last year. That put a lot of pressure on t'Arctics to not screw up this time around. Bringing in producer James Ford from Simian Mobile Disco probably helped, as did jettisoning choruses, rocking harder than they ever did before, playing it slow and not sounding crap ('505' for the win) and generally making an album that didn't lose its appeal after the 15th listen. 'Do Me a Favour' is genuinely emotional, 'Balaclava' is a whole lot of fun, and 'Old Yellow Bricks' and 'Teddy Picker' are killer for bedroom air guitar. Also, great music video for 'Brianstorm' and great live performance of 'Fluorescent Adolescent'. Shame about that latter song title, though, eh?
[download Arctic Monkeys - 505 (live at Glastonbury)]
[Arctic Monkeys - official site / myspace]
[Buy 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' US / UK]
Try to keep your trousers on
We love a bit of trouble
The new Arctic Monkeys record 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' is out now on both sides of the Pond, complete with NSFW inlay artwork. I haven't got to the end of it yet - but I dig all I've heard so far. The previous album was great for the first three and last three tracks, and dipped in the middle, but thus far, 'Nightmare' comes across as much more even. I really like the guitars on 'Do Me A Favour' and I'm a sucker for overlapping vocals, so the end of 'Fluorescent Adolescent' really appeal to me, even if the song title doesn't. Plus the Oz-themed 'Old Yellow Bricks', and the part in 'Brianstorm' where it pauses before he says "....Thunder". It's all good.
Not going to post a song from the record, but here's a song from the 'Brianstorm' single. Not the one with Dizzee Rascal (I don't think that collaboration as nearly as good as it should be), but 'If You Found This, It's Probably Too Late'. This is what the band's current live sets have been kicking off with, and is under two minutes long, and yet has two very distinct parts. Reminds me of The Coral once it goes mental, and of course it's over just when it starts taking off. In case you haven't seen it yet, here's the video for 'Brianstorm', which is six kinds of brilliant.
[download Arctic Monkeys - If You Found This, It's Probably Too Late]
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