"Favourite Worst Nightmare" really is - for me - the first great album of 2007. There have been some truly outstanding albums this year so far (Patrick Wolf, Tracey Thorn, Bjork, Tori Amos, just to name a couple), but none have ignited such fireballs of passion as this. I wasn't at all fussed by the Arctic Monkeys' first album, "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not", so I really wasn't expecting to take any sort of shining to the follow up, even though I was slightly impressed with the "Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys" E.P. from last year. But upon hearing the first single, "Brianstorm", lifted from this new album, I immediately began taking an interest. I've always thought Alex Turner and Jamie Cook (pictured, left) from the band were incredibly good looking (it's my thing alright, those kind of bratty Britty-boys, leave me alone), but the sounds just hadn't been good enough in the past for me to pay any attention toward their musical instruments rather than just their faces. Then this bloody album came along and turned everything upside down.
"Brianstorm" is such a menacing rock affair that it's hard NOT to enjoy it. Turner's voice sounds so deliciously evil throughout, and there's something really exciting about the "t-shirt and tie combination" lyric, which probably has something to do with me SHOUTING IT in the car every morning on my way to work. And THAT breakdown - something I soon figured out was a Monkey trademark - totally overwhelming. "Teddy Picker", which I felt has a certain rockabilly element to it, talks about someone "gagging for it"... that was my most used phrase of 2005. I totally love the fact it's made a revival of sorts in music. "D Is For Dangerous" is just fucking great, but not as spectacular as "Balaclava", an asbolute stand-out moment on this record. A hyperactive, balls out, high-tension, pure rock song that sounds almost as if it was recorded with its live performance in mind. Total Arena material.
Is "Fluorescent Adolescent" going to be a single? It should be, another absolute masterpiece, and Turner's little-boy-lost approach to the lyrics ALMOST makes this his cutest moment on record, a title that - however - belongs to "The Bad Thing", a slightly more uptempo tune which takes you to new levels of adoration with the lyric "really love is fiiiiiiine!". "Only One Who Knows" is a drumless strummy-guitar ballad of sorts that accentuates a slow cracking in Alex's voice... absolutely gorgeous. "Do Me A Favour" is easily the first of my three stellar favourite moments on here though. It's the bearer of one MASSIVE build up that just adds to itself with each verse. Totally insane and probably the most 'pop' moment on here. Apparently this is about Turner's break up with Victoria McDowell... "Do me a favour/and break my nose/...and stop asking questions/...she walked away/her eyes were all red/you could see that we'd cried". Just lovely lyrics, but not as good as the "perhaps fuck off might be too kind" line though. "This House Is A Circus" is the second acer than ace track on here, a real messy, fun and over-excited pop/rock assault that does a very good job of summing up WHY these guys are so bloody good in just a mere 3 minutes and 14 seconds. "Old Yellow Bricks" has this totally amazing violin-bit through it which blends incredibly well with the harsh guitars and slight shouting, and "If You Were There, Beware" is so ridiculously offtap it's hard not to completely appreciate it. The albums closer, "505", is the third of the three mind-blowing ditties on this long player. Starting itself off at a splendidly slow rate, it's the massive build-up that takes this up about ten notches from being a mellow love song into a complete state of bonkers Indie-pop heaven. Beautiful beyond belief.
No one is more surprised at this recent Monkey-turn-of-events to my ears than I. But I am so impressed with this album that I've started giving their first one another chance... I'm pleased to say it's REALLY growing on me. I know a lot of the readers wont agree with my new found love of the boys, but I'm sure everyone can relate to the absolute joy you feel when you experience a really rewarding surprise in music... it's all been such a great thing, discovering their new choons and rediscovering their older stuff.
Cannot wait to see them play at Splendour In The Grass over the first weekend in August down Byron Bay way, either... Yep, my good friends Ben, Verity & I will be forking out hundreds of dollars to not only secure tickets for the festival, but pay for accomodation AND get flights up there as well, and the main incentive for me has been to see the Monkeys perform. It's going to be one expensive music festival but by GOD have you seen the line up?! Alongside the Monkeys, Hot Chip, Klaxons, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Lily Allen, Sarah Blasko, The Shins, Josh Pyke... You should come along! More details here.
BONUS YOUTUBE VIDEO: One of the MANY reasons I love Alex Turner... He's just so adorable... "Sarah & Nicola, Girls Aloud!"
11:15 AM | Poster Girl said... You have me very intrigued now...I wasn't even planning on listening to this album, though I've had a couple of moments of Arctic Monkey enjoyment in the past (never heard all the first album, though)...hmmm...your enthusiasm is just so contagious, though. If I end up buying it, I think you deserve a commission.
9:30 PM | Adem IAR said... pg: Let me know what you think about it... I'm a bit worried now that if you do buy it and don't enjoy it I will be to blame!
xo: God yes. That accent is so delish. And there's nothing cuter than a lush boy trying to contain his drunkdom. Le sigh...
4:35 AM | J'ason D'luv said... I've got this CD sitting here on my desk but haven't listened to yet. Will jump to it! On the flipside, Natasha Bedingfield's album (well, the three songs I've heard) is a letdown.
