Suck It And See-Arctic Monkeys

Suck It And See- Arctic Monkeys

The Arctic Monkeys were riding high after a stellar debut effort and equally compelling sophomore album and looked to continue that momentum with Humbug. Working with Queens of the Stone Age front man Josh Homme, the Monkeys went with a darker sound both instrumentally and lyrically. Although some of their fans were not as fond of Humbug as previous albums, it was still thought to have been good, just different. The fourth album, entitled Suck It and See, has the Arctic Monkeys re-uniting with Josh Homme, whose style is slightly less noticeable here than on Humbug, but still present.

She’s Thunderstorms- Entering with an almost harrowing riff, things brighten up once lead singer Alex Turner emerges with his cool, slick delivery “She's thunderstorms/lying on her front/up against the wall/she's thunderstorms.” The guitar riffs are pretty light and mesh well with one another, as well as with the jerky drums of Matt Helders. The song is made by the mood it projects, and is a little similar to something you would have heard on their last album, which in my opinion isn’t a bad thing at all. —80/100

Black Treacle-The constant, tucked in the background bass is the unsung hero here as it keeps perfect time with the drums to form a great framework that is both upbeat and chill at the same time. The slashing guitars are great, and as mentioned earlier, the presence of Josh Homme is felt here in some of the riffs. “I’m out of place and I’m not getting any wiser/I feel like a sun dance kid behind a synthesizer/and I tried last night to pack away a life/like a key under the knife/but it never seems to be there when you want it” spouts Alex. A little more aggressive than the last song, but it certainly doesn’t sound angry. —93/100

Brick By Brick— This is the first song that I heard off of Suck It And See, and as it turns out this song was a great preview of what the album would be like. Considering it was the first single off of the album, I naturally would have expected it to be one of the better songs on the album, although in my opinion this isn’t the case. This isn’t to say it’s not good; it’s just mildly repetitive for my taste. That being said it has a classic guitar riff reminiscent of something from a previous decade that was given their usual spin. The 70’s style classic rock sound is something that the Monkeys need to dip into more often.–83/100

Hellcat Spangled Shalalala- A tight drum beat and sneaky bass sound great in context with the slyness of Turner on this track. When shouts of “Shalalala” mix with the atmospheric strumming and controlled aggression of drummer Matt Helders is when the song kicks into high gear. I really enjoyed the relaxing nature of the instruments as they are all well rounded and not punchy here. The bridge is great and really compliments the chorus well as the transition is nearly seamless. Once again this is yet another worth entry into their library. —82/100

Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair- I think this is one of the better songs on the album; I love the beginning riff and the way the song evolves into something certainly harder than any other Arctic Monkeys song before it. This is in part due to the fact that it is played in drop D, which is most commonly associated with metal. With the killer lead and titter tat drums, “Don’t Sit Down” is both aggressive yet relaxed. The calming vocals from Turner do wonders to set the perfect mood. The bass kind of blends with the guitars here but it’s all for naught as the song still kicks serious ass. —92/100

Library Pictures—After the ferocity of the previous track, I wondered what this would sound like. Starting with a simple beat the drumming quickly becomes overly complicated but in a good way. The first minute of the track is classic Monkeys; Aggressive guitar tones and intense drumming that not even the best air drummer could replicate. After a great tempo change, the song calms down and begins to sound like something featuring on Humbug before ratcheting up yet again and going out with an explosive bang that will definitely keep me listening. —89/100

All My Own Stunts—I don’t dislike this song but it is sandwiched between two great songs so it will tend to get overlooked. This is not without some justification however; I would say it’s my least favorite song on the album by a good measure because it fails to progress beyond just being mildly interesting to listen to. For being the least interesting song on the album it is still pretty good and isn’t a disrespect to their sound or any previous releases. —76/100

Reckless Serenade—The warm bass line and relaxed drumming are what make this song stand out on the album, as the sound is fresh and different than the rest of the songs. Twinkling background guitars that are slightly offbeat do a great job keeping the drums and bass from overpowering things. “I’ve been trying to figure out exactly what it is I need/Called up to listen to the voice of reason/And got the answering machine.” Clocking in at 2:43, it is just long enough to satisfy but brief enough to keep you wanting more. This is certainly one of the best songs of the album, and possibly of their catalog. —93/100

Piledriver Waltz—This song may be slow but do not let that trick you into thinking that it isn’t up to par. One thing of note is how it is in standard Waltz timing, per the title. I love the lyric “If you’re going to try and walk on water make sure you wear your comfortable shoes.” Great drums fills are aplenty and are in great company with some pulsing, surging bass that helps round out the experience. A good but not spectacular song; will most likely be one of the least well received on the album. —85/100

Love Is A Laserquest- A U2 like drumbeat and guitar combo gets things started with Mr. Turner doing his thing, crooning “Do you still feel like love is like Laserquest?/I’ve tried to ask you this in some day dreams I’ve had/But you were too busy being make believe.” I can also see some aspects that could have been inspired by INXS on this track. The drums remind me of “Howlin’ For You” by the Black Keys—87/100

Suck It And See- The title track is a good prequel to the last song and a fine sequel to the song before it. It is a natural fit in this spot and shows that proper song placement can pay off dividends. This is yet another consistent track from the Monkeys. “You have got that face that just says baby I was made to break your heart” is a lyric that I like and is delivery with a level of realness that I can relate to easily. —88/100

That’s Where You’re Wrong- The words “Make a wish that weighs a ton/There are no handles for you to hold/No one was standing where it goes” ooze out of Turner almost grudgingly. The final song on the album is built off of a rapid, tapping drum track and some more quality bass courtesy of their excellent bassist. The guitars on this track are used in accessory to the leading sections of drum and bass. A great album closer, the final song is a good ending to a great album full of diverse styles and sounds. —80/100

Overall: 85/100