Arctic Monkeys: Humbug
Artic Monkeys has come away from their stay in the Mojave Desert with Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme with a new sound.
(Domino)
**
Arctic Monkeys abandon their roots on their third album, said Sean Fennessey in Spin. Taking a “decidedly different direction” on Humbug, the Sheffield lads leave behind England—as well as the “jagged, ramshackle guitar rock and devilishly detailed observations” that made them a sensation. Having spent months in the Mojave Desert with Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, the group has emerged within a haze of dour sludge-rock. While the lads deserve credit for trying to evolve, they come close to jettisoning what made them great, said Alexis Petridis in the London Guardian. Alex Butler’s biting lyrics, once a driving force, are often drowned in the sonic mire. “There’s not much of a tune” to songs like “Dance Little Liar,” which gets swept away in atmospherics. But the band occasionally gets it right. “Cornerstone” is a “witty, poignant evocation of lost love” and “Secret Door” is a wry observation of celebrity. Arctic Monkeys need to churn out more like these to get back on track.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Winchcombe meteorite: space rock may reveal how water came to Earth
The Explainer New analysis of its violent journey confirms scientific theories on the origin of our planet's H2O
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Liz Truss to save the West: is a political comeback really on the cards?
Talking Point The former prime minister is back with a new tell-all memoir
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Fallout: one of the 'most faithful – and best – video game adaptations'
The Week Recommends This 'genre-bending' new Amazon series is set in a post-apocalyptic wilderness where survivors shelter below ground
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published