BY EMMA SCHOORS
If there’s anything more exciting than a new Arctic Monkeys record, I haven’t heard of it. The band, originally signed in 2005, has made a comeback that’s bringing fans back to the buzz of 2014’s AM and the sheer grit drenched in their first record. The new album is nothing short of the bands’ infamous classic vocals and haunting guitars. If anything says genre consumption and understanding, it’s the bands always present inclusion of so many iconic sounds. The new record screams electricity, and still keeps listeners on the edge with the pure smoothness of it all. Titled Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, the album includes no singles. It signals difference at first listen. The usual contrast of voice and instrument is broken and we're left with songs that are to be listened to with pure intent of getting the most satisfaction out of them, rather than being held on edge.
For example, the title track lays out a punchy bass line and melodic vocals. “Four our of Five” is accompanied by a fitting music video and a era-defining sound. “The Ultracheese” is a classic example of lead singer Alex Turner’s smooth and retro vocals shining through. “Science Fiction” brings elements of drums and synth/keyboard sounds to create an atmosphere unlike any other bands’, and tracks like “Golden Trunks” and “American Sports” show the world beyond the bands’ prior sound. It’s iconic sounds, fit to be a unique example of this timeless era of music
The whole record is an outlet for the bands’ creativity and perspective, and listeners around the world feel that energy as purely as the band does. It’s got all the check marks for a great AM album, but this record shows the unending possibility and inspiration that seeps through into the music. It’s new, it’s complex, yet it’s got the simplicity that reels listeners in for the long run.