Buckle those seatbelts and take a ride with the Arctic Monkeys’ new album “The Car.”
On Oct. 21, the Arctic Monkeys released their seventh studio album, which disregards fans’ request for an echo of their previous “AM” album from 2013. Each release by the English band offers different aesthetic orchestral notes that somewhat reflects their previous work.
“The Car” introduces a more abstract approach to the past song, “Do I Wanna Know.” This new album contains hints of a lounge space act in contrast to their spiky songs from the past.
Alex Turner, front man and songwriter for the Arctic Monkeys, has made comments about how they will always be the same band, but they have made persistent moves to branch out.
The cover for the new album is a photograph taken by the band’s drummer, Matt Helders. It shows a lone white car on the roof of a parking garage. It was shot on a vintage Leica M6 camera in Kodak Portra 400 35mm film. The car directly inspired some of the titles and lyrics on the album.
Some hints of “AM” can be found in “Hello You” on the new album with the restoration of the guitar riff from the infamous “Knee Socks.” This song demonstrates the teamwork and ability of the entire band to invoke playful notes that smoothly dance with Turner’s vocals.
The other existing songs on the album offer a sultrier and bleeding persona that shadows a theme of romance and nostalgia. “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” demonstrates the wistful, cinematic approach that the rest of the album conveys.
It is safe to say that the Arctic Monkeys are constantly moving towards a new way of enhancing and magnifying their style and portrayal of music. They continue to operate at an elevated level.
