Arctic Monkeys: Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino — Review
“Don’t believe the hype”, said Alex Turner, thirteen years ago on the music video for ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor’. It was a hype that continued to grow, exponentially, with each album, and the band’s latest release has seen no end of attention from the media and fans. But, should you believe the hype? URY Music’s Sophia Bonner certainly thinks you should, and she has written this review to tell you why.
Anticipation has grown since the Arctic Monkeys reappeared on the scene earlier this year. Old fans welcomed their return with arms (and ears) wide open, ready for new music to add to their collection, whilst newer listeners eagerly waited to see if they would live up to the hype. To add to the furore surrounding their return, the band then began announcing tour dates. At first, announcing TRNSMT along with a string of European dates, the band left many UK fans stressed out. Fortunately, Easter brought with it the announcement of a full UK tour, featuring 5 dates at London’s O2 Arena. Obviously, the tour sold out in seconds, with many left upset and ticketless, without a chance to see the iconic Sheffield band.
It might be no surprise, then, that after all this, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino was probably the most highly anticipated album of the year.
First appearing in 2002, Arctic Monkeys emerged in the aftermath of the glory days of Oasis and The Stone Roses. At a time when rock fans were looking for a new sound to call home, the Arctics fitted in perfectly. Within little time at all, they became the ideal bridge between new fans of rock and old ones, attracting attention from younger listeners and older listeners alike. Sixteen years later, we have the band’s sixth studio album.
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino opens with ‘Star Treatment’, an emotive track with lavish melodies that make for a graceful entrance to the record. This new sound makes it clear that the band have taken yet another direction with their music. It is potentially a dated approach, but one that allows listeners to hear a different side to the band’s talent, yet again. Next up is ‘One Point Perspective’, which probably has my favourite opening: rhythmic keys and drums, along with Turner’s divine vocals, create a light-hearted follow up to the opening song.
The titular track, ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’, has a groovy opening with a rich sound throughout, and is a sure highlight of the record along with ‘Four Out of Five’. This other single has a swagger like that of Alex Turner himself, and showcases his softened voice being complemented by the backing vocals of the rest of the band. These vocals build gradually towards the end of the track, where they unite in a single line, “Four stars out of five!”, before descending into a short, groovy bassline to end the song. ‘The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip’ follows, the kind of whacky song name the band are well-known for and that might well give long-time listeners a moment to reminisce about the good old days. The album then takes a turn with ‘She Looks Like Fun’, a track which opens with a deep, slightly bizarre, vocal tone that mimics the piano chords whilst rumbling the words “She looks like fun”. But, soon, Turner’s angelic voice kicks in and the track’s melodic side is revealed.
Some say the album sounds like a continuation of Turner’s The Last Shadow Puppets (his side project with Miles Kane), with others saying it sounds like the Suck It and See days, minus the melody. In truth, no single one of the band’s albums sounds entirely the same as the previous. This is what makes the Arctic Monkeys so worthy of success; they are a talented band, consistently releasing high-quality albums and capable of mastering a range of sounds.
The last few albums in the band’s discography have drawn criticism for not meeting a high standard, but something I always like to bear in mind is the band’s ability to take unusual melodies, combine them with Turner‘s lyrical prowess, and, ultimately, create art. Yes, this album may be different to what people were expecting, and it certainly feels Bowie-esque and less rock-driven or as light-hearted as their earlier releases, but it shows that the band have matured over the years and have grown a rich sound to match their musical experience. With time, I believe a lot of people will grow to appreciate this album, and it will still be exciting to see performed live when the band begin their highly anticipated world tour.
Article: Sophia Bonner
Editor: Alex Sheriff
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