Review Summary: The Monkeys succeeded in creating a more than qualifying sophmore album with which they have cemented their name as one of Britain's most spirited and interesting bands around.
Over-exposure at a certain stage may be both successful or catastrophic for an artist. When Arctic Monkey's first album "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" became the biggest-selling album in UK history, everyone's eyes were glued to this group of young rascals, expecting the next big thing. When you're under that sort of pressure it's very easy to crack. But if there's one thing you can be sure after the end of "Favourite Worst Nightmare" is that the Monkeys have kept their cool and have successfully crafted an album that may even be better than their debut.
The first thing you'll notice when you play the opening track is that everyone has stepped up their game. While Turner's lyrics haven't improved drastically, they simply don't need to, because they were already great and dare I say the greatest appeal to the band in the first place. What really stands out in this record however, is a performance by another key member of the group - Matt Helder. His drumming has become more fierce and all around a lot more interesting as he shines on cuts like " Brianstorm", "Balaclava" and "Matador".
There's nothing to be said about the star of the band - Alex Turner - that hasn't already been said. Here you can see him exploring more of his vocal and lyrical talents making ultimately forgettable songs like "The Bad Thing" and "This House Is A Circus" that much more interesting. Perhaps the most surprising of his performances comes in the form of "Matador" where he gives a slight rap verse, leaving the other members to contribute more for the rest of the song.
The record as a whole can be described as both louder and faster than the band's debut. For the most part this works out, giving the album a youthful and energetic vibe that only a group of youngsters having fun can give. When that dynamic is slowed down in songs like "505" and "Only Ones Who Know" the monkeys still manage to make it work, even if the latter stumbles in places. While most of the songs can be considered highlights on their own including the likes of "Brianstorm", "Teddy Picker" and "Old Yellow Bricks", the album is still strangely inconsistent, more so than their debut. And while the songs only range from amazing to good, never stepping in the "bad" territory, it is still easy to pin-point the songs that are simply inferior to others. With all that being said, even the lesser quality cuts are a joy to listen to, and may surprise you after a couple of listens like the danceable "Fluorescent Adolescent" and the quirky "Da Frame 2R".
What really sets the monkeys from other bands, which is one of the reasons for their mainstream success is their ability to ignore everyone's expectations and just focus on the one thing they love - the music, thus creating a more than qualifying sophomore album with which they have cemented their name as one of Britain's most spirited and interesting bands around.
