Review Summary: The Monkeys demonstrate both a hard and a soft side,but in the end,the album gets repetitive
Arctic Monkeys are a band that I quite like.That's mainly because they write simple,fun rock songs with a party vibe that is really catchy.Probably,this is the reason they became that famous the last few years.And their albums generally boast great production,sound quality and fluidity.
Now,let's concentrate on the album.The opener ''Do I Wanna Know?'' is a significant track of the album.It starts with a simple drum pattern,followed by a great guitar riff.The vocals are intoxicating and the song has a slow but steady build up to the chorus,which is quite chaotic and powerful.The tension and release that reoccurs throughout is really the whole point of the track.Next comes ‘’R U Mine?’’ which features a somewhat similar riff and the same chaotic feel of the first song.Full of energy,though,it captures the ear with it’s interesting drum parts and nice hooks.’’One For The Road’’ has some tremendous backing vocals during it’s run,as well as a great guitar intro.Near the end of the song the intro reappears,only to give way to the shattering guitar solo some seconds after.The groovy nature of ''Arabella’’ is particularly exciting,with all these drum beats and guitar riffs,plus the break right before the chorus.The song’s tension-release style is similar to the opener,but this is only a minor bug.
''I Want It All’’ is kinda uninspired in the songwriting department,with a weak riff and melody,but has some cool guitar lines throughout.Nothing else to comment on this song,it could have easily be left out.’’No.1 Party Anthem’’ is a pleasant ballad that merges the acoustic strumming with the piano lines perfectly.The hook ‘’come on ,come on ,come on’’ is delightful and in general,the song is truly a ‘’party anthem’’.’’Mad Sounds’’ starts with a lonely guitar introduction and then builds up the instrumentation with some organ parts.The tracks reminds me of Velvet Underground and the ‘’ooh la la la’’ section is beautiful.’’Fireside’’ has an amazing rhythm section and great instrumentation ideas,which give the song a different feel than anything else here.’’ Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?’’ is another low point of the album and could have also been left out of the album,because it is something we heard earlier on the album.’’Snap Out Of It’’ stars a great drum beat and terrific guitar lines during the chorus.’’Knee Socks’’ begins with a great guitar riff and includes some fine backing vocals.One of the best tracks on the album,despite reminding ‘’One For The Road’’.’’I Wanna Be Yours’’ closes the album in an acceptable but not spectacular way,with nice guitar chords and hooks.
The main problem I have with this album is that it is extremely monotonous.I mean,yes,the production is excellent,but the songs don’t differ from each other.Most of the rocker carry the same structure that ‘’Do I Wanna Know?’’ and ‘’One For The Road’’ have.The riffs,melodies,rhythms of the hard side of the album are rooted in these two tracks.The softer side is better,with the tracks being more distinguished,and in general,apart from the aforementioned low points,the albums flows really,really well.
Track rating:
01.Do I Wanna Know? 5/5
02.R U Mine? 4/5
03.One For The Road 5/5
04.Arabella 4/5
05.I Want It All 3/5
06.No.1 Party Anthem 4.5/5
07.Mad Sounds 5/5
08.Fireside 4/5
09. Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? 3/5
10.Snap Out Of It 4/5
11.Knee Socks 4.5/5
12.I Wanna Be Yours 3.5/5
So,by summing up,the rating is a 4.But,the general monotonous feel of the album drags it down to a 3.5.
