Arctic Monkeys is a rock band formed in Sheffield, England, composed of vocalist and frontman Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O’Malley. Since the mid-2000s, the band has been putting out music that has reached global popularity and acclaim thanks to its stylistic versatility and one-of-a-kind songwriting.
Arctic Monkeys is also the band that has dominated the top spot in my Spotify Wrapped as far back as I can remember—I’m in their certified top 0.5% of listeners, not to flex—and is always my answer when I’m asked who my favorite band or favorite artist is. I love how different each of their albums are, and how you can see the progression in the band members’ interests, maturity and artistic intent. Turner’s layered songwriting, which features out-there metaphors, distinctive imagery, literary and pop-culture references and so many other quirks, is also something that keeps drawing me to listen back to their work. With every listen, I always find some more meaning in their music that I hadn’t previously been aware of.
So, since I’m in charge of a newspaper and can do whatever I want, I decided I’d go through the Monkeys’ discography and give my definitive ranking and review of all seven of the band’s full-length albums. I’ll give my thoughts on the overall albums, some key songs and a little context around my own personal experiences with these records. With no further ado, here’s the ranking!
- “Suck It and See” (2011)
I guess I should start this ranking by making it clear that I don’t dislike any of Arctic Monkeys’ albums. All of them have a lot more to enjoy than to dislike, even the album that unfortunately needed to take last place in this ranking, “Suck It and See” (“SIAS”). I think what makes “SIAS” stand out less than other albums, in my view, is that it’s sort of a growing pain on the way to the band’s defining record “AM” (which we’ll get to later). Retrospectively, then, it’s difficult not to view it in that context.
To get into the album itself, it certainly features one of the band’s more laid-back and low-energy sounds. Turner’s vocals are a lot breathier than on other records, and his and Cook’s guitars are sometimes stylistically reminiscent of surf rock—although a lot less fast-paced than that genre usually is. The album’s themes and songwriting clearly follow in the footsteps of the band’s previous outing, the psychedelic “Humbug.” Many of the tracks see Turner expressing love and attraction with descriptive lyrics that evoke drug trips—and honestly, that’s the main issue with “SIAS.” It’s seemingly just a stylistic sequel to “Humbug” on the way to “AM.” And none of it is bad; it’s just underwhelming when you view it in the context of Arctic Monkeys, a band known for its constant self-innovation and evolution in musical style.
Still, “SIAS” features some fun and interesting songs. Some of my personal favorites include opening track “She’s Thunderstorms,” trippy love ballad “Black Treacle,” the evocative “Reckless Serenade” and the innuendo-filled title track, “Suck It and See.”
Overall, I’d give “SIAS” a 7/10. It’s a fun listen, but underwhelming in the context of the band’s discography.
- “Humbug” (2009)
“Humbug” was a make-or-break moment for the Monkeys. Their third studio album, it saw the band diversify their style, making the leap from “booze and cigarettes” rock to “weed and psychedelics” rock. This was also the band’s first collaboration with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, who would serve as a long-time mentor to Turner as well as the rest of the Monkeys.
I’d like to stress once again that this album isn’t so low on the list because it’s bad, but only because everything else is even better. Humbug is a great listen, with an atmosphere that is slow and moody but never falls into lethargy. Turner’s songwriting takes a much more evocative turn here, no longer singing about nightclubs and parties like in his early work, but instead painting fantasy worlds and summoning ghosts of past loves. The album is undeniably inspired by psychedelic rock and stoner rock as well as the drugs those genres imply. Hell, the opening track, “My Propeller,” is about using cannabis as a creative propeller—Turner thus starting off this new era of Arctic Monkeys with a clear indicator of what things are going to be like from now on.
Some of my favorite tracks from “Humbug” include the passionate and metaphor-filled “Crying Lightning,” introvert anthem “Secret Door,” haunting and atmospheric “Cornerstone” and the heavier “Pretty Visitors,” which harkens back to the band’s earlier work.
“Humbug” gets an 8/10 from me. An important landmark for the band and well-executed from start to finish, but just personally not my absolute favorite of their styles. However, if you’re perhaps not in the most sober of minds, I hear it’s the best Arctic Monkeys album to listen to.
- “The Car” (2022)
To be quite honest, I’m still not fully sure what to make of “The Car.” The Monkey’s most recent album, it is the most mature and introspective to date. Stylistically in the vein of their previous project, “Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino,” with orchestral backing music and jazz and funk aesthetics, its themes and songwriting turn away from that album’s high concept and outlandish lyrics.
Here, Turner and the band reflect on their careers and lives as they age out of their youth, with, for instance, the ever-present theme of love being seen from a point of view of melancholy rather than romance. Also pervasive throughout Turner’s lyrics is reference to—and reflection on—the band’s own creative process and stylistic evolution, as seen in tracks like “Sculptures of Anything Goes” and “Big Ideas.” The album’s sound has a cinematic feel to it, with lengthier songs and variety of instrumentation making each song into its own emotional journey.
Some of my favorite tracks on “The Car” include journey of lament “Body Paint,” creative introspection “Big Ideas” and self-confrontational “Mr Schwartz.”
Like “Humbug,” “The Car” gets an 8/10. Out of the Monkeys’ seven albums, this one definitely has the most to chew on, and if you’re interested in both the band’s artistic journey and really analyzing what you listen to (like I do, if you couldn’t tell), it’s great. However, it’s not really the type of music you throw on for some casual listening, and I wouldn’t recommend this as someone’s introduction to the band.
Part two coming next week!
