Arctic Monkeys - ‘Humbug’
Maturity is an over-rated virtue for young bands...
Posted Monday, 24 August 2009 in ,
Rating: 8
Maturity is an over-rated virtue for young bands. It usually means slowing down and losing the energy.
Arctic Monkeys, however, have gone straight from the whippersnapper stage to debonair lounge lizards without missing a beat. The beat, in fact, is crucial. Drummer
Matt Helders holds everything together with a rare swing as well as a swagger. Judging by the similarities between tracks like the louche ‘Fire And The Thud’ and
The Last Shadow Puppets album, though, this is very much
Alex Turner’s record and he’s never sounded better. Half
James Bond to half
James Bolam he’s still got the northern wit but ‘Humbug’ is also extraordinarily suave.
Trevor Baker