Humbug

The lad’s from Sheffield, England have once again surpassed the musical expectations of the decade. The Arctic Monkey’s new album “Humbug” resonates in the listeners headphones with haunting backup vocals, heavy bass lines, echoing fuzz guitar riffs, all complimented by Alex Turner’s clever lyrics swung in his heavy northern accent. Although this masterpiece will surely make its mark on musical history, it seems that American’s will be distracted by pop culture once again.
No one could have foreseen this experimental sound when listening to their first album which sold the most debuts in England’s history. Topping even the Beatles debut album, The Arctic Monkey’s quickly rose to fame after “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” struck the indie music scene with remarkable force in 2006. Although the records impact was beatle-isque in Europe, Americans seemed to be more interested in Kanye West at the time. Unfortunately, it seems that this could also be the fate of “Humbug” in America.
The album opens with the band in full force followed by a gripping guitar riff. The track “My Propeller” emerges from the shadows as Turner sings “My propeller won’t spin and I can’t get it started on my own, when are you arriving?” The opening of the record sets a dark mood that the band intends to maintain throughout. For the first time the band begins to experiment with the use of an organ creating a sensation of being at a haunted carnival. Trapped on a carousel that won’t stop spinning, you must follow along with the band until the record closes and the ride comes to an end. This new sound seems to coincide with the collaboration of the Monkey’s and front man Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age. Homme brought the band out the California Desert to record Humbug giving the album a mysterious sound unlike any other album they have recorded. When drummer Matt Helders was asked if the environment affected their new songs he stated “I think how they sounded had a lot to do with where we were”.
The album has been described by the Culture Show as “Bigger, Bolder, and way more confident than anything they’ve done before”. Turner points out that recently when he picks up the guitar he cannot help but gravitate towards Jimmy Hendrix. This new influence can easily be spotted in the heavy guitar solo in the track two on the Album “Crying Lightening”. The solo pours down with a heavy force that has been unheard on any previous record. The distorted riff sounds as if it is echoing down a long corridor. Alex Turner’s vocal and lyrical genius follows as he sings “your past times consisted of the strange, twisted and deranged, and I love that little game you have called crying lightening, and how you like to aggravate the ice-cream man on rainy afternoons”. Tuner’s lyrics have been described as the most poetic of the decade and this album is a perfect example.
Humbug slows down on the highly acclaimed track “Corner Stone” as Alex Turner gives the audience a more personal song. The song starts with Turner wandering from pub to pub looking for his lover. Alex sings “I thought I saw you in the rusty hook, huddled up in a wicker chair, I wondered over for a closer look and kissed whoever was sitting there” until he finally asks the girl if he could “call her your name”. His genius prevails as the song continues and he finds himself at the Corner Stone pub with his lover’s sister. Turner’s wit comes through as he sings “She was close, well you couldn’t get much closer, she said I’m really not suppose to but yes, you can call me anything you want”.
Unfortunately, this beautiful song has been overlooked by the American public. The American music charts are dominated by the same hip-hop artists each week while the Arctic Monkey’s genius continues to dazzle British listeners. Could this be the indication that the “Brit Invasion” truly ended in the sixties? Or could it be that the American music scene has been out of touch for too long?
Upon Humbug’s release it reached number 1 on British charts immediately. The poetic lyrics and charging guitar riffs clearly impacted the British music scene. Each Arctic Monkey’s album has reached number one on European charts but remains unseen in America. It seems that the Atlantic is turning out to be more of a musical barrier than it previously was. Even if most American’s cannot appreciate this single for what it’s worth, the album continues on to a perfect close.
The final tracks of the Humbug bring back the energy captured in the first half of the album with Dance Little Liar, Pretty Visitors, and Jewelers Hand. “Dance Little Liar is my favorite new song to perform” stated Alex Turner when speaking with Rolling Stone magazine. The song starts calm as Turner recites poetic verse over a creeping guitar line. Then the band explodes into a breakdown of snarling guitar matched by Matt Helders unique tom work. The song leads right into the opening organ of Pretty Visitors. The listener is brought right back into the haunted carnival illusion until the album the last chord fades away in the song Jewelers Hand. Turner’s lyrics actual capture this illusion that the album created in the first line of the last song as he sings “Fiendish wonder in the carnivals wake”. The reader is brought into an eerie world filled with mazes of mirrors, a house of cards, bubble blowers in the snow, and Turners most interesting line “watching his exit is like falling off the ferry in the night”. This darker sound that the Arctic Monkeys have captured on Humbug is unlike any other their previous albums. It seems that following the immense success of their first two albums it was time for them to start to experiment. Many bands’ these days continue to write pop songs that are radio friendly.
The Arctic Monkeys have proven with this album that they are continuing to grow musically, and lyrically. If you have never heard a full length Arctic Monkeys album I recommend starting with the legendary debut album and working your way to Humbug. The musical journey is truly stunning. Hopefully the American public will recognize their genius amidst the mind numbing current chart toppers.