WHATEVER YOU SAY I AM | ARCTIC MONKEYS' NEW ALBUM: TRANQUILITY BASE HOTEL & CASINO
By ezequiellumbang - May 14, 2018
ARCTIC MONKEYS' NEW ALBUM: TRANQUILITY BASE HOTEL & CASINO
What the f*** are the Arctic Monkeys? Sixteen years in and the Sheffield-formed rock band continue to surpass and subvert expectations. When guitar music seemed to be undergoing a painful death thanks to the likes of Razorlight and Kings of Leon, they gave us AM in 2013, an absolute belter of a rock album with unexpected but brilliant nods to hip hop and R&B. And now this.
THEIR FIRST ALBUM IN 5 YEARS IS HERE!!!
Given their constant switch-ups on style and sound per album, it’s doubtful anyone expected the band to make another AM. But what they’ve landed on with Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is arguably the biggest leap of their career so far – and one where the band extended an invitation to their studio at La Frette, so musician friends from Mini Mansions, Tame Impala and Klaxons could join in the fun.
Lyrics on each song are rambling, stream-of-consciousness style; more like diary entries by one of the hotel occupants. It’s obviously the concept of the whole album, but that style may also stem from how Turner wrote this album on the piano for the first time – that meandering style brings to mind someone figuring out a melody. “Four out of Five” is one of the tighter songs on the record; the thud of the bass and Turner’s keen falsetto on the intro precede a controlled, staccato mutter: “Hokey Cokey with the opposite sex. The things you try to forget, doesn’t time fly.”
https://youtu.be/71Es-8FfATo
The fact is, these four musicians have fully submerged themselves into this venture, into this defined hotel and casino, and are inviting you to check in and do the same. Its theatrical production and refined vocal delivery - heavily sprinkled with Turner's natural musicality and love of Dion, Serge Gainsbourg and The Beach Boys - is the kind that will unlock new doors with each listen. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is a strangely modest result of Turner taking a breath and rolling with the years (well, back the years).
Whatever your stance on the outcome, rest assured the next one will see them chart another, entirely new territory - and that should only be encouraged.
It’s hard not to see all of this as some kind of devilish provocation. Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino offers neither the trademark sound of Arctic Monkeys nor the heartfelt, sentimental songwriting that has endeared the band to millions. It does offer crabby politics, delightfully ghoulish vocals, intergalactic intrigue, and a long list of follow-up reading and viewing materials. Frankly, anyone hanging around for another “Do I Wanna Know?” deserves this album. The band painted itself into a corner years ago. Tranquility bulldozed the building and hopped a jet to the moon. You can go back to “Mardy Bum” and relive decade-old pub nights that ended in puke and “Mr. Brightside” sing-alongs, or you can jump in the spaceship and fantasize about the Earth bursting into a hail of space junk. I say let it rain.
I’ll end by concluding that Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is Arctic Monkeys’ most ambitious album to date. It is a concept album in the sense that the whole album is set in a specific place and tells stories relevant to the place. It’s not quite as cinematic as Kendrick’s GKMC, nor does it (in my opinion) pull off the no-guitars rule as well as Mountain Goats’ Goths. It’s not the easiest of listens, and it doesn’t have a standout “hit single” in the discography, so I think this will be their least popular album so far.
But I’m still proud of the boys for being brave in their musical choices. They’ve never failed to reinvent themselves with each album, and they’ve continued to do that with this one. Even though I had every reason to expect them to change up their sound, I never thought it would be as drastic and radical. I like that they can still surprise long time listeners such as myself. I am going to continue listening to this album for a while, and while it may not be in my top 4 Arctic Monkeys’ favourite albums, I still cherish it and continue to be a fan.
source: pitchfork.com
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