Arctic Monkeys – The Car
Grandiose strings and exuberant irresistible vocals in The Car show Arctic Monkeys are more comfortable than ever in their lounge-laden musical attire
Have you got your seatbelt on? Arctic Monkeys are back with their seventh studio album, The Car, a sonically grandiose journey that sees the band realign their visions to all things earthly rather than conceptual hotels and casinos.
If fans felt unconvinced by the band’s previous album, less should now. Their latest feels more immersive, its tone typified by the stellar opening tune, There’d Better Be a Mirrorball, on which delicate drums leave space for skin-tingling strings and career-best vocal performances from Alex Turner. Funk tendencies like wah-wah pedals and staccato stabs of rhythm also bring a fun side to the quartet’s songwriting that was missing from their last effort.
Aside from "the car" appearing to be a motif for a sense of nostalgia throughout, the themes of Turner’s lyrics drive in various directions – some sour, cryptic or more amusingly mundane others. His inimitable vocal twangs shine bright, steered by essences of Bowie in Big Ideas and Sinatra-like crooner vibes in Perfect Sense.
The Arctic Monkeys of old are long gone and so too should any expectations of them returning to dirty dancefloors. With The Car, the band become increasingly comfortable in their lounge-laden musical attire.
Listen to: There’d Better Be a Mirrorball, Body Paint