More on: Arctic Monkeys

Label: Domino
Release Date: 23/01/06
Rating:

There are two camps. Arctic Monkeys: ace or average? The hype's been deafening - the biggest we've seen in a decade. They've already been crowned saviours of music, a do it yourself phenomenon, made by the internet and the voice of the youth.

The most remarkable thing of all - they've just about pulled it off.

Domino Records rarely get it wrong, but they've played a master stroke here. Threatening the wrath of scenesters by playing with the fire of press attention, 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' had to be a truly remarkable album to pull it off. A Number One single came earlier than anyone was expecting, but after this all the over-exposure seems oddly justified.

It's almost as if it's all been leading to this: the home-town accent stylings of The Futureheads, the lazy cool of The Strokes, the shambolic urchin pop of The Libertines and the spikey art rock of Franz Ferdinand. With the Kaiser Chiefs sparked Northern uproar added to the party, it's like Arctic Monkeys are a cross between 'The Best Of Shine: 2006' and the fulfilment of a destiny.

It's all about the dancefloor. View From The Afternoon' kicks things off at full throttle, sharp riffs and cutting lyrics all present and correct. The call and answer of 'Fake Tales Of San Fransisco' verges on poetic, while 'Dancing Shoes' has a building bass line to die for.

There's not even a hint of filler, but a surprising show of diversity as 'You Probably Couldn't See For The Lights But You Were Looking Straight At Me' coins the indie club expression of the year ("could all go a bit Frank Spencer") at a surprising pace; one which 'Riot Van' slows right down. 'Still Take You Home' and 'Mardy Bum' are triumphant in context, but when it comes down to it, it's about the big finish.

Part one; 'When The Sun Goes Down', possibly the only single to chart the experiences of a Sheffield hooker over a lilting yet decievingly catchy riff. Part two; the almost spoken into to 'From The Ritz To The Rubble' leading to a near explosive chorus, and part three: the one it's all been leading up to.

'Certain Romance' isn't just a set closer. It's a track that could almost end an era. Pounding beats give way to showcase Turner's lyrics at their very, very best. A tale of what the broadsheets would call "life on the streets" that matches the best that Mike Skinner could offer, it raises the game for everyone.

Between Arctic Monkeys, Little Man Tate and The Long Blondes, 2006 could well be all about Sheffield. Then again, with Leeds and Wakefield having their own pop masterminds scheming away, and the rest of the country not far behind, you have to hope New Yorkshire doesn't start getting nasty. It'd be one hell of a fight.

Stephen Ackroyd

Arctic Monkeys Official Site