News, Opinion, & Multimedia for Tamalpais High School

The Tam News

News, Opinion, & Multimedia for Tamalpais High School

The Tam News

News, Opinion, & Multimedia for Tamalpais High School

The Tam News


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Arctic Monkeys’ Sixth Album Brings a New Beat

Arctic+Monkeys+Sixth+Album+Brings+a+New+Beat

Since their first single, I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor in 2005, the Arctic Monkeys have become a massive hit in the UK. Their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not became one of the fastest selling albums in Britain since the 90’s.

Originally seen as just another garage band, the Arctic Monkeys have proved their versatility. With albums Humbug in 2009 and Suck it and See in 2011, they began to experiment with a deeper and darker sound.

Their fifth and latest studio album, AM, has its own style and identity far from their earlier indie rock sound.

AM is R&B-inspired with stylish beats and esoteric lyrics. The album opens with thudding drumbeats and sexy guitar riffs in “Do I Wanna Know?”

“Have you no idea that you’re in deep?/ I dreamt about you nearly every night this week,” frontman and lyricist Alex Turner sings in his thick Yorkshire accent.

The album moves through the hard rock sound of “R U Mine?” and smoky down-tempo numbers such as “No. 1 Party Anthem” and “Mad Sounds”.

Dark chord progressions and sinister beats show a new side of the Arctic Monkeys. They’ve traded their hoodies and long locks for leather jackets and 1950’s greaser hair.

“Do I Wanna Know?”, “R U Mine?” and “Why Do You Only Call Me When You’re High?” are the strongest numbers of the album.

AM is a sleek and haunted album that is possibly the best in their eight-year career. The Arctic Monkeys have clearly grown up since their “Favorite Worst Nightmare” days in 2007. As Turner said to NME magazine, “Risk. That’s what’s exciting about it. It’s the place to be. I don’t want to dwell on the future, but I don’t want to live in the past. Our music has to be an experiment. You have to dictate what ‘now’ means.”

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