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BUY THE CD
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“Dark” and “cryptic” are words that come to mind as I listen to the Arctic Monkeys’ third and latest album, Humbug. This band from High Green, England (a suburb of Sheffield), is currently touring the U.S., offering a lyrical feast to their fans.
Yes, “lyrical” is probably a better way to describe Arctic Monkeys. The album’s opening song, “My Propeller,” though not literal, is the most straightforward cut on the album. The second song, “Crying Lightning,” then sets the tone for the rest of the album. Lead singer Alex Turner’s vocals switch from deliberate to quick and melodic, reminiscent of Jim Kerr of the mid-‘80s band, Simple Minds. Lines in the chorus such as “how you like to aggravate the ice cream man on rainy afternoons”—with “ice cream” changing to “icky” later on in the song—is representative of the metaphorical lyrics that refer to relationships, both sweet and sour. Admittedly, though, since I wasn’t provided a lyric sheet, and I couldn’t understand all of the words on my own—since I’m not too good at that—I had to cheat and consult lyricsmania.com to figure out what Turner was singing in each of the ten songs.
Turner composes the songs’ lyrics while the entire band—Turner, along with bassist Nick O’Malley, guitarist Jamie Cook, and drummer Matt Helders—is credited with the music. Most of the songs rely on heavy drum beats in the forefront, with strong running bass and rhythm guitar riffs; the lead guitar is used very sparingly. Again, “Crying Lightning” is representative of this, with a strong bass line, accompanied by an eerie lead guitar.
The style rarely deviates until the seventh (and my favorite) cut, “Cornerstone,” which employs a little more melody—that sweet sound reminiscent of early British bands. The rest of the album relies on dark, figurative lyrics. However, what is unusual and fresh about this band is that they make little use of synthesized sounds, as is usually the case with this type of alternative music.
That said, my iPod is full of songs in which the music dominates the lyrics; I like it that way. Also, I find a strong bass line necessary, but I surely don’t like it to overpower the lead guitar. So it’s no surprise that Humbug just wasn’t for me. But if you prefer lyrically-based songs, with the music acting in a secondary role, then Arctic Monkeys’ Humbug is a must for your playlist.
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