Humbug

Seeing as how I haven't been able to find any new music that I've really wanted to review as of lately (outside of "Suburbs," but I still have to give that a solid listen), I've been rummaging through some albums over the past couple of years that I really enjoyed.  I managed to stumble across Arctic Monkeys album "Humbug," which was released in August of last year.  On another note, I've noticed that my reviews have gotten a bit wordy, so I'm going to try and keep this review around 700 words, excluding this intro paragraph.  Alright, here we go:

"Puff your chest out like you never lost a war"

With the release of "Humbug," listeners that enjoyed Arctic Monkeys' album "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" (2006) will certainly feel like they're listening to a completely different band.  As one can guess from the album's title, the Arctic Monkeys decided to go in a much darker direction compared to their previous album.  Some people I've talked to think this was a bad move, but personally, I think it was a successful experiment, if nothing else.  

While the album doesn't contain anything funky or necessarily fun like "Dancing Shoes" or "Fake Tales of San Francisco," songs of the sort wouldn't fit into what "Humbug" is overall.  As a total album, "Humbug" seems to have a much more pointed direction than any of Arctic Monkeys' other albums.  The album seems to be driving at a much deeper, darker feeling both instrumentally and lyrically.  Songs like "Crying Lightning," "Dangerous Animals," and "The Jeweller's Hands" rely on heavy bass lines and slow, steady lyrics to convey a somber, yet almost angry and bitter mood, something that isn't common to Arctic Monkeys.

However, while the album does have a much gloomier overall mood, softer songs are present as well, such as "Secret Door" and "Cornerstone," both of which give a pleasant break about a third and two thirds through from the heavier songs that make up a majority of the album.  These also help frequent listeners of Arctic Monkeys to recall songs such as "Mardy Bum" and "Riot Van" (my personal favorite Arctic Monkeys' song) from their album "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not."  

While some have said that "Humbug" is the weakest of Arctic Monkeys releases ("Humbug" received a 75 whereas "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" and "Favourite Worst Nightmares" both received an 82), I think it only strengthens their musical repertoire and is a step in the right direction towards finding what sound suits them best.  While more upbeat songs as well as slower works garnered fame for Arctic Monkeys in the past, the bleaker, more morose sound of "Humbug" only adds to the unique sound they have managed to build up over the years.  Alex Turner, the band's vocalist, manages to still keep the creativity of his lyrics fresh and interesting (especially in "Pretty Visitors" and "Crying Lightning"), something that would seem difficult with such a drastic shift in mood of the band's encompassing sound on "Humbug."  However, the album very well could have been influenced by some sinister and/or somber lyrics Turner had come up with.  Regardless, the sound is successful.

If anything, the direction Arctic Monkeys chose to go with on "Humbug" doesn't hinder them, but rather should lead listeners to speculate where the band will go next.  The album overall isn't necessarily superior to either of its predecessors, but it certainly is different.  It is well understood that listeners may have a hard time adjusting to Arctic Monkeys' new sound, but if anything, they should be intrigued that such a different mood can be represented so well by a band not known for its morbidness.  Arctic Monkeys has unearthed a new side of themselves and have managed to triumphantly mold their talent into a completely different voice.  In the future, fans can only hope to hear a culmination of all of the great sounds Arctic Monkeys have found success with over the years.  Take a listen to "Humbug" here.

"Humbug": 86/100

(583 Words, boo-yah)