Album Review: Arctic Monkeys - AM

There are some things that are quintessentially Arctic Monkeys: Alex Turner's Sheffieldian brogue, verbose lyricism that's part allusion, part narrative. Since Humbug it felt as if they were stuck in a musical rut, focused on changing direction but wandering aimlessly. AM is transformative in that regard – a sharp, clever record that thumps around one's brain with authority. Unassumingly catchy with moody sensuality oozing, AM charts the uncertainty of new romance, from the thrilling tension of mutual attraction in Do I Wanna Know? and the obvious question of R U Mine?

The stand out factors on AM are the sounds we've never heard on Arctic Monkeys records before. It's a reassuringly vibrant jolt to the system when, for the first time in their discography, piano melodies open up Snap Out Of It. The best part is that it all works; Turner's trademark tongue-twisters blend smoothly into jaunty keys and mid-tempo drums, striking that all important tension between eager and mysterious.

Backing vocals are another welcome addition, like the falsetto breakdown on Knee Socks or 'whoa whoa's on the slow-burn One For The Road. Arctic Monkeys seemed to function on only two speeds: breakneck fast thrashing or down tempo middling, but on AM they have by and large conquered that. There's endless charisma right through to the final torch song I Wanna Be Yours, and you can practically see Turner's sly grin when he suggests wanting to be “your Ford Cortina, I will never rust”.