Humbug - Arctic Monkeys

After becoming household names following their 2006 release ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’, and securing global fascination with their heavier follow up ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’, the Arctic Monkeys could do no wrong. With this, following the large anticipation generated over the past 2 years, their latest release ‘Humbug’ was set to mark a seminal moment for the band.
However, after several listens, the new album appears very weak and mundane in comparison to their previous efforts. It seems that the raw energy and musical strength that was ever present throughout ‘Whatever People Say I Am….’ has diminished. This can be seen in the single ‘Crying Lightning’ where Alex Turner’s lyrics tell a narrative against a punchy rhythm, not far removed from previous anthem ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’. The song itself is strong but lacks the sharp storytelling that formed the world’s fascination with the band in the first place. One reason for this shift in sound may be down to the number of collaborations that the band have undertaken for the new album, including guest producing from Queens Of The Stone Age front man Joshua Homme and James Ford from dance group Simian Mobile Disco, which enforces a heavy rhythm section to every track. This tends to do more harm then good as it changes the Arctic Monkeys from being a fresh and energetic sounding group to sounding more like a well established mature American rock band, which they are not.
Despite this, the new direction is interesting and does highlight how the band have learned how to grow stronger together and how they are adaptable to trying new ideas. For example, both ‘Secret Door’ and ‘Cornerstone’ both display a more tender and personal level of song writing that the band had not shared so explicitly before. Arguably the most potent peak of the album, ‘Secret Door’ provides a soft and floating refrain which rises and falls, and in turn sits juxtaposed to opener ‘My Propeller’ and thrashy number ‘Pretty Visitors’, which is one of the rare moments which hark back to a more familiar and comfortable era for the band.
As a whole, ‘Humbug’ is interesting and does highlight how the band have matured and in turn attempted to turn the current indie scene, of which they stand as key ambassadors, towards a more epic and well mannered future. But, the weakness is that the Arctic Monkeys are not the right band to tackle such an endeavour, and instead should stick to knocking out more indie anthems that showcase the youthful innocence of life, which they have proved to be masters of. Still worth a listen though!