Arctic Monkeys - Favorite Worst Nightmare

While the hype-o-meter nearly combusted in a haze of smoke and fire after the Arctic Monkeys debut shattered many time-honored English sales records (and was somehow named one of the top five British releases ever by one source), it failed to make the same dent in America largely due to justifiable skepticism. Well, anyone who listened to Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not learned that although no one deserves such a level of buzz, it was a pretty good record from a young band with loads of potential. Somehow Arctic Monkeys made it through without struggling for five years to write a follow-up or having anyone die (although bassist Andy Nicholson was replaced). They’ve returned with an album that is immensely tighter and more polished than their debut, combining the funky mathematical rhythms of Franz Ferdinand, the street sense of The Strokes and the snarl of The Clash. There’s even some gentle atmospheric soul (“Only Ones Who Know”) that they execute like a far more veteran ensemble that knows when to let up on the pedal, as well as perfectly crafted Brit-pop (“Do Me A Favour”) that demonstrates what a tremendous talent singer Alex Turner is. The instrumental interplay has grown leaps and bounds, as each track seems to bend and turn in an array of directions (even though only two songs clear four minutes), often shifting tempo and structure in completely unexpected ways. For such a young band to make this kind of progress after receiving the level of adulation they did makes it very likely they’ll hold up just fine under the musical microscope. I can’t wait to hear what they do next. [ww.arcticmonkeys.com]