New Arctic Monkeys!!

Artwork sums it up: I WANT MORE

SO say you're the Arctic Monkeys...

Your second single "I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor" reached number one in the UK easy. Your second album, ALL 12 TRACKS PLACED IN THE UKs TOP 200. What!??!

Now you've gotta follow that so what do you do? You hire a guy you idolized when you were growing up to produce your album. You take the liberty of success you experiment a little bit with a darker more sinister sound only hinted at on the previous albums.

Meet HUMBUG. The monkeys remain consistent with great unique vocal melodies on top of memorable guitar and bass parts with drums that stick out occasionally but for the most part get the job done. No - it does not outdo their first 2 releases. It comes short. This is not the album that will finally spur their invasion into America (I don't know about you but not many of my non-musical friends are yet aware of the band).

However, if you are a fan of the Arctic Monkeys and Favourite Worst Nightmare, you may or may not be satisfied with this disk. I'll break it down track for track in no particular order.

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There are more sinister tracks such as "My Propellor" ("can't spin and I can't get it started on my own" "take a spin on my propellor" - sexual much??).

"Secret Door" sounds a lot like "505" from the 2007 release.

"Dangerous Animals" is a great track but really is not that far a departure from their style however. Not sure what the song is about but that lack of meaning doesn't really take away from it. Great drumming in the end.

I'm guessing you've all heard "Crying Lightning". Definitely makes the bands greatest hits but after an album with 12 tracks that all could join this same elite list, I'm not sure they delivered what everyone was expecting.

"Potion Approaching" - one of my favorite song on the album even though it seems to get lost within itself. "Yours is the only ocean, that I wanna swing from" - does this make sense? Not that I don't like having to interpret but I feel like there was a much more tangible concept in their previous albums. My favorite line on the whole album comes from this though "If I could be someone else for a week, I'd spend it chasing after you". One of those wish-I-thought-of-that lines haha.

"Fire and the Thud" - I'm not gonna lie after the first couple listen I just skip this track. I DON'T SKIP ANY ON Favourite Worst Nightmare!!!

"Dance Little Liar" is a cool song with some interesting musical ideas but best serves as lullaby.

"Pretty Visitors" - my absolute favorite track on the album. Dark ominous yet cheeky and upbeat - its what the Arctic Monkeys do best. "What came first the chicken or the dickhead?" ----There you are Monkeys! Finally a glimpse of your notorious playfulness and humor. Great track.

"The Jeweler's Hands" - eh. Goes along with the albums theme. Dark and slightly lacking.

"Cornerstone" - You gotta listen but a great story song. Not radio friendly at all but a great effing track. As good a song as they come and talks about that hallucination that follows when you lose a lover where everything and everyone you see reminds you of that person. I can kinda relate to this maybe thats why I like it so much haha. This could easily be a Beatles song in that if it had been on a Fab Four album it would have been very popular.

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So, in the end, we have some great tracks and some that become somewhat disappointing. Its a great album and I still hold that these guys are gonna continue to be one of the biggest bands in music for years to come but I don't think this will be remembered as their greatest album. Then again, they've got a lot to live up to. I give it an 8 out of 10 just because I guess I was expecting another soundtrack to my life and instead got a couple tracks that I'll be putting into playlists.

If I know the monkeys though we'll probably be getting some B-sides in a couple of months time. Can't wait!

The Arctic Monkeys - "Pretty Visitors"

The Arctic Monkeys - "Potion Approaching"