Anne WidjajaVerdict: Suck it and See, Arctic Monkeys
July 11th 2011 02:43
In true Arctic Monkey’s fashion, singles 'Brick by Brick' and 'Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve moved Your Chair' revealed little about the band’s direction on their fourth offering. Whether these tracks were Americana-garage ‘rock n roll’ parodies (“run with scissors through a chip pan fire fight”) or a nod to the band’s transatlantic influences, it was at least satisfying to hear frontman Alex Turner return to the dry wit of the band’s first album. But Suck it and See has not been made in jest, rather quite the opposite. The band has abandoned its jungle drumming and reverb heavy guitar rock for…sugary ballads. Opener ‘She’s Thunderstorms’ may begin with a promising enough eerie guitar riff, but as soon as Turner’s sweeter-than-ever vocals come crooning in, it’s clear that the band’s particular style of snappy indie rock has taken a back seat on this album.
The album does feature a few impressive love songs, including the retro charm of ‘The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala’, and the short but sweet ‘Reckless Serenade’, with it’s catchy bass hook and possibly the band’s catchiest sing along line since "now then Mardy Bum".The band also explores new and exciting territory on ‘Piledriver Waltz’, with its heart-renchingly bare lyrics (“I heard the unhappy ending it sort of sounds like you’re leaving”) and a well paced, controlled rhythm and melody which perfectly matches the mood of Turner’s melancholic word play. Although there are hints of more complex guitar work in these tracks and a fine display of Turner’s, as always, intriguingly sharp lyrics (“Her steady hands may well have done the devil’s pedicure”), there’s a touch of uncertainty about the songs that can be heard throughout the entire album…the tentative sound of rock band adjusting to romantic ballads. Although, whilst the heavier tracks ('Library Pictures', 'All My Own Stunts') may feature spatterings of familiar guitar riffs and rhythms circa My Favourite Worst Nightmare, these tracks don’t even thrash as cohesively as we’re used to.
Ultimately, the album’s strengths are also its weaknesses. The slower tracks become more of the same as the album progresses through the 12 track listing, and Turner’s lyrics and his smooth vocals are really the only memorable part. Unlike the band's last attempts to experiment with style, this is the first Monkey’s album which unconvincingly expands the band's own musical boundaries. By the end, the entire album just washes over you with a blurry impression of its charming sentiment, but not much else.
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