Monkeys in Slo-Mo, 4 Out Of 5 Stars
The Arctic Monkeys aren't kids anymore. The mere need for speed no longer thrills the way it used to, and their third album is a darker, more complex batch of songs than anything they've ever attempted. Stone Age Queen
Josh Homme may have pushed the band in this direction, but since some of the songs on Favourite Worst Nightmare seemed to me to already be moving towards the dark, I suspect a natural progression.
In many ways, "Humbug" reminds me of The Undertones
as they progressed to their Positive Touch
album. The bands both started out as hyper-adolescent punkier outfits, with their lyrical sights set on teen girls and gear (Mars Bars to Nikes), and both sounded like a group that could have only formed in a British DiY environment.While their fans might have wanted the Monkeys to do songs like "I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor" forever, band leader Alex Turner appears to be tired of the form. So he minor-keys it, slows the pace down (allowing drummer Matt Helders room to show off) and allows his voice to flow like an instrument. That makes songs like "Propeller" sound almost menacing. Or let the hook in the first single, "Crying Lightning," evolve out from the song instead of sledgehammering you. Or to experiment with textures, like the backwards guitar on "Cornerstone." With "Humbug," the Arctic Monkeys prove once and for all that they're a three dimensional act, and will outlast the hype that swept them to their original stardom.
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