Arctic Monkeys — Humbug

Humbug

Domino/Outside

Zack Vitiello (CHARTattack)

09/18/2009 2:03pm

In many ways, Arctic Monkey's debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, could be neatly summed up with the potent opening lyric from "Dancing Shoes": "Get on your dancing shoes," shouted singer Alex Turner in his Yorkshire accent.

As a first-go from a group of 20-year-olds, Whatever People Say was, naturally, a highly youthful, rambunctious record and Turner's demand was almost impossible to ignore, so dance we did.

The Monkey's third disc, however, is perhaps better encapsulated by its very title. Humbug is a far darker affair than either of the band's two previous releases. While scathing lyrics are nothing new for Turner, Humbug finds his voice taking on a wickedly sinister quality. Massive, walloping drum lines and heavy, surf rock-tinged guitar riffs (a la Pulp Fiction's opening credits) result in a record that's quietly foreboding at its brightest moments and shockingly hostile at its darkest.

The band's stormy new sound culminates with lead-off single, "Crying Lightning" — "Your past times consisted of the strange, the twisted and deranged," coos Turner eerily during the song's breakdown, seconds before the band kick back in with an assertive vigor.

"Pretty Visitors" is an even heavier affair, using multi-tracked vocals to turn the band members' voices into those of ghostly choir members. The aggression presented on Humbug rarely wavers, and even when it does, Turner's cutting anecdotes are enough to keep the listener on edge.

To say Humbug is Arctic Monkey's "grown-up" record would be inaccurate. It's still full of all the energy and excess the band have come to be known for, but for better or for worse, the energy they're currently channeling is a dark one. Whatever people once said about Arctic Monkeys, they have proven here that's what they're not.

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