Suck it and See – Arctic monkeys

Never have I ever experienced such anticipation as I did before the release of ‘my old favourite bands’ first album. I remember watching them support Maximo Park at the NME Awards Tour about a year before the record was in stores and everyone at the gig knew every word to every track they played. It was a hysteria I attributed to what my Dad must have felt like during early Zeppelin, or older mates with ‘Definitely Maybe’.

‘Suck it and See’ is the Arctic Monkey’s soon to be released new album (6^th of June), and it’s fair to say there’s not loads of hype. Maybe due to the heavier last album (Humbug) that took another direction and thus drove away from many of their fans (mainly the carling-guzzling, burberry clad bag ‘eds that made up eighty percent of their first album fan base). Now I’m not saying I’m a bag ‘ed, but it drove me away.  Guilt will be a feeling many listeners to the new album will feel if they can bring themselves to invest back into their old friends. Guilt because of how in love you once were and easily you dismissed your old flame. Although it wont hurt so much that you have to buy ‘Humbug’ to make up for your absence of loyalty, rather you will just stick on ‘Whatever people say…’ and reminisce of the good times.

‘Suck it and See’ is a frustrating album. Unfortunately for Arctic Monkey’s, as musicians, the revolutionary style of their first album will be what everyone remembers, and wants from them. It’s what I want. I want Fake Tales of San Francisco, I want ‘tracky bottoms tucked in socks’, I want new material that replicates the old stuff. It narrow minded and naïve, but its what everyone’s thinking.

Music Critics admire Arctic Monkeys for their experimentation with new sound, and rightfully deserved. This album seems to a culmination of the sounds they have worked on with all of their previous albums. Turners lyrics have an element of the playfulness they once had, especially on ‘Don’t Sit Down’ – ‘Do the macerena in the devils lair….but just don’t sit down cos I’ve moved yer chair…’. The guitars are hard rocking and distorted much like Humbug. Melodically, the album has the potential for some ‘choons’, but it’s Turners voice and lyrics that seem to be the only thing that is saving Monkey’s from being just another rock band.

Acknowledgment of the youthfulness they no longer possess is indicated in Turners lyrics on ‘All my own Stunts’, - ‘Put on your dancing shoes, and show me what to do’ – its seems they are even reminiscing of a time we’ve all forgotten.

The album will be a success, because there are still many Arctic Monkeys fans loyal to their progression, although they don’t sound like a bunch of mates putting songs together about girls and beer anymore. It’s all too serious and expressionist now. We want impressionist, say-it-how-it-is music for the impressionable. Nobody likes change, and everybody loves the early stuff Monkeys did. It’s just science.

It’s nice to hear what my old mates have been up too, but it’s like they’ve been to University and met new mates who I don’t get on with. I just want the old days back.

Now where did I put that first album….

4/10