From the moment the Arctic Monkeys burst onto the stage it was clear they were going to dominate. Led by magnetic front man Alex Turner, thousands of people turn their eyes to him and sing every word of the band’s songs. By set’s end the enraptured crowd remains desperate for more.
Formed in England in 2002, the Arctic Monkeys consist of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar), Matt Helders (drums, vocals), Jamie Cook (guitar) and Nick O’ Malley (bass, backing vocals).
The band has released six studio albums: Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006), Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007), Humbug (2009), Suck It and See (2011), AM (2013), and Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018), as well as one live album, At the Apollo (2008).
As multiple Brit award winners and Grammy nominees, the Arctic Monkeys‘ first album was the fastest selling debut in UK chart history with Rolling Stone ranking it the 30th greatest debut album. As the first independent label band with five consecutive number 1 albums in the UK, the Arctic Monkeys‘ first two singles “I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor” and “When the Sun Goes Down” shot straight to number 1 on the UK Singles Chart.
Since returning from a 2016 hiatus the Arctic Monkeys have been working on a new album culminating in the 2018 release of Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. With its lush sounds embodying lounge, space, and psychedelic pop along with glam rock combined with jazz, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is a major departure from the band’s previous guitar-heavy work.
It’s lyrical content draws heavily from science fiction and film, exploring consumerism, politics, religion and technology through the concept of a luxury resort on the moon. Just like mankind first set foot on the moon on the Tranquility base site, the Arctic Monkeys disembark in an unknown universe in which they reveal a new, unexpected aspect of themselves.
The album begs comparison to the works of David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave and Father John Misty as well as the influence of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds especially with its vocal harmonies. Despite its stylistic deviations the album became the band’s sixth consecutive number one debut in the UK, as well as the country’s fastest selling vinyl record in 25 years.
The album’s first single “Four Out of Five” has been described as a “Bowie-ish glam song” and labeled the album’s ” sing-along anthem” describing an acclaimed taqueria on the moon exploring gentrification.
“Science fiction creates these other worlds within which we can explore our own and I wanted to write something about that idea. So, through reading sci-fi I began to access that vocabulary and then suddenly we are talking about virtual reality moon casino experiences,” said Alex Turner.
In October 2020, they released a live album from their 2018 Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Tour. Â concert from the Royal Albert Hall titled Live at the Royal Albert Hall, was released on 4 December 2020. All proceeds from the album, as with the concert, will be going to the charity, A War Child. The Car released in October, 2022. It features a wide array of genres that include orchestral rock, lounge pop, baroque pop, and funk, as well as elements of jazz. It also draws influence from soul music, electronic music, glam rock, bossa nova, traditional pop and vintage film soundtracks.
Reference – https://usastore.arcticmonkeys.com/
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Discography
Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006)
Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007)
Humbug (2009)
Suck It and See (2011)
AM (2013)
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018)
Live at The Royal Albert Hall (2020)
The Car(2022)
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