Arctic Monkeys New Album

Everything you should know about the Arctic Monkey’s newest album: The Car.

Arctic Monkeys The Car Album Cover Photo Credits: Arctic Monkeys

On October 21st, 2022, Arctic Monkey’s released their 7th studio album, The Car. The Car was written by lead singer Alex Turner and produced by James Ford.

According to Rolling Stone, The Car is a follow-up to Arctic Monkey’s 2018 album, Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino. A press describes the album as Arctic Monkey’s “running wild in a new and sumptuous musical landscape and that it contains some of the richest and most rewarding vocal performances of Alex turner’s career.”

There are 10 tracks on the album — The Car:

1. There’d Better Be a Mirrorball

• is the lead single and opening track
• this song resurrects the same jazz-inspired style featured in Tranquility Base + Hotel
• more of a “down-to-earth” song.
• Alex Turner elegantly sings along with wistful strings
• This song captures the end of a relationship that was doomed to fail from the start.

2. I Ain’t quite Where I Think I Am

• This song is the third single from The Car.
• was the first song to be performed live before the release of the album at a concert in Zurich.
• The song was released as well as a music video shot at the band’s show in Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre.
• one of the few “rhythm tracks” on the album
• The lyrics describe the feeling of not belonging in a social setting (or in general just not fitting in)
• Alex Turner said since childhood he has always been laid back and withdrawn following with numerous awkward interactions in his life time.

Arctic Monkeys Debut On “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am” Photo Credits: ABC

3. Sculptures Of Anything Goes

• Turner wrote the song around the band guitarists Jamie Cook and drummer Matt Helders on a drum machine through their moog system.
• Alex Turner stated in an interview with Radio X that “the song went through different variations from the original concept, but eventually the band returned to it, and finalized the track in that way.”
• Turner said the song’s title is inspired by the opening sequence of the Steven Spielberg’s movie “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984).

4. Jet Skis On The Most

• this song shares credit with Tom Rowley
• Turner said in an interview with Radio X that Rowley had sent him the music verse of the song on New Year’s Day and that the first thing he sung to it was the title of the song.

5. Body Paint

• This song premiered on BBC Radio 1’s ‘Future Sounds’ program on September 29th, 2022.
• This song made a life debut during the band’s performance at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, NY.

6. The Car

• This song was inspired from the photo captured by the band’s drummer, Matt Helders.
• It became the album cover.
• The shot is an old E90 Toyota Corolla parked on the top floor of a building, all alone.
• Alex said in an interview for Zane Lowe that it “reminded him of childhood memories in cars, such as his father playing swing music in the car and interacting with him when the brass section came alive”.

7. Big Ideas

• this track is “very self-conscious thematically”
• Alex turner reminisces on the band and the music industry.
• In an interview he stated “ the melody of the chorus was where the track was created and evolved from there saying that the melody seemed to have aspirations beyond a simple pop song.”

8. Hello You

• Roots back in 2019 after the Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino tour.
• “Hello You” was one of the few things that survived beyond their sessions and resurfaced in the Butley Priory sessions in summer 2021.

Photo Credits: Consequence.net

9. Mr Schwartz

• Was first performed at the Kings Theatre in NY 29 days before the release of The Car.
• it was an intimate performance with only Alex Turner and touring member Tom Rowley onstage
• The first song in the Monkey’s catalogue to feature Alex Turner fingerpicking
• It has nothing to do with Delmore Schwartz
• Turner has rather stated that Mr. Schwartz is a part of movie set.

10. Perfect Sense

• the final track of the album and the shortest
• Alex said in an interview with Radio X that the writing and recording of the track was also short and straightfoward, a contrast to the other tracks on the album.
• He also said “it feels like a proper ending to it, along with being one of his personal favorites”.

Gabriella Dencklau is a Junior at YVHS who loves to read & listen to music.