Neek's 1st Listen: AM's "Tranquility Base"
yeah this was rough |
| 1 |  | Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
Oh yeah this is pretty funky, doesn’t sound anything like the Arctic Monkeys. Oh those vocals sound so Bowie that it hurts. Not that I’ve heard much Bowie. I’m digging the vibe of this, but the vocal melody is kinda boring and it seems to just never end. The music changes ever so slightly which is kinda nice because I feel like this would grow on me, but honestly I’m halfway through this and pretty much ever second has sounded the same. This is like a six-minute long song and yet I really don’t have anything to say about it. It’s pretty decent but I’ve gotta admit I’m pretty underwhelmed, and I was one of the few here who loved AM. Not that this sounds anything like that. Why is this song so goddamn long. Omg just end already. 6+/10 |
| 2 | | Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
One Point Perspective:
Okay are things gonna switch up at all? This sounds a LITTLE different but not if this tempo stays the same the entire fucking song again. See, I actually really enjoy the instrumentation here and everything that’s going on, but I feel like it’s presented so uninterestingly that it might as well be a demo. So much is happening and yet it feels like nothing is. Oh my fuck does it get any more interesting than this? 5.5+/10 |
| 3 | | Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
American Sports:
Oh shit this song started and I didn’t even notice. I got bored and went on Facebook and now I’m a minute in to this I guess. Anyway this one isn’t as annoyingly boring as the last, I could see myself getting into this one eventually. There’s some cool stuff going on and it sounds like there’s actual growth going on throughout the song. But then again, I didn’t even realize the song had changed at first. 7-/10 |
| 4 | | Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino:
I feel like the title track of the album should be a statement on the album as a whole, and if the statement is that there’s some neat stuff going on in the background but overall it’s kinda lame, then yeah, nice going guys. Oh shit, this last minute is doing some funky stuff. But now it’s back to the usual. I feel like an instrumental version of this album would be better, the vocals are way less entertaining than the music. 6.5-/10 |
| 5 | | Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
Golden Trunks:
Okay, some falsetto stuff. A little different vibe from the rest. But even when these songs decide to sound a little different than the rest, they just do the same thing over and over again until it becomes boring in of itself. That being said, I know I’m basically trashing these, but they are actually pretty good. There’s really something to them, even if it’s more frustrating than anything. I would never call it a bad album like some of the guys who overblow everything in the discussion always do. But yeah, it definitely ain’t good. At least not at first. 6+/10 |
| 6 | | Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
Four Out of Five:
Jesus Christ if every album here is just gonna sound the same then why am I even doing this first listen thing? Just to bitch about how repetitive it all is? Fuck. I’ll just mention it if anything ever changes. Woah is that a chorus? I don’t even know if there have been any of those this far, an actually difference in music and melody is so out of place in these songs. This one might be one of the better ones just because of that. If I here one more comparison to Villains by butcher I’ll crucify myself, I’d take any version of QotSA over this. 6+/10 |
| 7 | | Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip:
Possibly the worst song title of the year? It’s gotta be up there. I wonder what listening to the lyrics will be like once I’m finally used to the music enough to actually get into them. The song isn’t bad, more enjoyable than most of the other ones, it at least embraces it’s stately pace more than the others and changes the sonic palate up at least a bit here and there. 6.5+/10 |
| 8 | | Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
Science Fiction:
Again some fun sounds here, again nothing really new and vaguely annoying. I just got out of Rampage so maybe I’ve just had my fill of decent, flawed, but pretty fun entertainment for the day. Or maybe it’s just boring and that movie wasn’t. 6+/10 |
| 9 | | Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
She Looks Like Fun:
Well this song definitely announced itself. Even with the lame verses, the choruses at the least help this song really differentiate itself from the rest of the pack. It’s a pretty rockin’ sound compared to the rest, one of the few places where I can here some Homme influence. And a guitar solo that doesn’t sound totally out of place? Well maybe we have a winner here guys. I dig this one. It’s kinda like if a Royal Blood song sounded really wonky. 7+/10 |
| 10 | | Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
Batphone:
What is up with these song titles? There’s no way this song is about the Batphone right? Is it some lame metaphor? Well nothing else is happening musically so I guess I might as well look up the lyrics.
Okay that didn’t help now I’m just confused and even more bored so whatever I guess. This one is definitely one of the lamer ones with the wanky piano and that irritating keyboard thing or whatever. Agh fuck me. Just end already. There’s no way there’s a minute worth of song left here. Oh okay you’re just leaving the instruments going for a minute. So cool. So fucking original. Jesus christ I lied the instrumentals are just as boring. Is this really worth a fade out? Jesus fuck. 5+/10 |
| 11 | | Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
The Ultracheese:
What is UP with these song titles? I just want this to be over so maybe this song’ll just be a quick passable outro. So far it’s inoffensive enough. Is he trying to be Beatles-y in this? It isn’t working. Not that this is much better than half the Beatles stuff but that’s another story for another day. Anyway this is pretty lame yeah. He sounds so smug and proud of himself. He probably thinks this is like the best thing ever. Dear God it’s so pretentious. Pitchfork would probably cum all over this if it was a debut album and not the sixth by an aging rock band. Btw this has exactly the same problems I had with The OOZ. Not that that has anything to do with anything but I figured that would rile some of you up and I’m just trying to type until the songs over. Oh thank fuck. 5.5+/10 |
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