Arctic Monkeys: Favourite Worst Nightmare

Thursday, May 10, 2007

By: David Schultz

The main thing keeping the Arctic Monkeys new album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, from being one of the fresher releases in years is that they've done all this before. Were it not for Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, their 2006 breakout album that transformed the Arctic Monkeys from cocky Sheffield teenagers to an International sensation, the manic energy of their latest release would be all the rage. Oh well, you can only invent the wheel once.

A bit more polished then their debut, Favourite Worst Nightmare benefits from the confidence gained from their success as well as from a maturity that's probably to be expected for any band just emerging from their teens. Although the Monkeys have gained a bit of finesse, they sound like they are fighting against the ill-fitting suit of adulthood rather than embracing it. Right from the outset, they recapture their familiar vibe, with Alex Turner and Jamie Cook firing out Dick Dale-style rumbling guitars over Matt Helders pounding beat on the album's opener "Brianstorm." Although they aren't as brash and slightly less cocky than a year ago, the are equally as witty as still sound like they're running from one club to the next.

Smartly, the Monkeys aren't messing with their successful formula. However they are trying a few new things. Turner and Cook's jumpy guitars and the Monkey's signature propulsive beat are still there, but whether it's the funky little beat underlying "Balaclava" or the refined punch of "This House Is A Circus," there's something a little extra. On moodier numbers like "Only Ones Who Know" and "505," Turner sounds more bored than contemplative, though that may be the point.

The English press tears down bands with the same fierce intensity they use while hyping them as the next greatest thing. Even before releasing Whatever People Say I Am, the Arctic Monkeys benefited greatly from the excitement generated by the media. Now that they have everyone's attention, with a solid release like Favourite Worst Nightmare they're making it harder to knock them off the pedestal they've been placed on.