I am an avid fan of British music; my dad would always play music from the British Invasion when I was a young kid, and now, as my music taste has developed, I thoroughly enjoy listening to the new wave of British music. This includes artists such as Franz Ferdinand, the Fratellis, The Libertines, and especially the Arctic Monkeys. Ever since I heard them perform "A Certain Romance" on Saturday Night Live, I have been a huge fan. I also think that Whatever People Say I am, That's What I'm Not is a totally solid album. Their highly energetic riffs and Alex Turner's voice match perfectly. However, I am writing about their new CD, Humbug. I totally respect and usually love it when a band takes a new approach to their musical style; innovation is what makes a good band or artist. Humbug is the continuation of their previous album, Favourite Worst Nightmare. While I did enjoy that CD very much (especially "Fluorescent Adolescent" and "Brainstorm"), I felt that it had a very heavy sound. This definitely meant that the Monkeys were maturing, but Humbug takes the sound they developed and turned the "slow and heavy" knob so much that they are barely recognizable. The accessible jams of Whatever People Say I am, That's What I'm Not are no longer there. It's depressing: while I am glad that they didn't lose their integrity, I am not glad that they lost their sound.
Album photo from http://stereogum.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment