Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

Holy shit holy shit holy shit the Arctic Monkeys are back.  OK so you know when people talk about the boom of YouTube in 06 as soon as Arctic Monkeys dropped the "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" video?  Yea, I was one of the guys on that bandwagon.  What hasn't been said about Arctic Monkeys wild, energetic and youthful 2006 debut "Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not"?  This album was an absolute gold mine for early Indie Rock and Dance-Rock hits.  From the throttling "When The Sun Goes Down" to the massively catchy "Fake Tales of San Francisco", Arctic Monkeys compiled one of the most instantaneous debut albums in Rock history.   Arctic Monkeys returned in 2007 with "Favourite Worst Nightmare", and undeniably fun but a little less impactful album.  This album was crammed with huge Alternative Rock hits like "Brianstorm" and "Fluorescent Adolescent".  But it was also jam-packed with seriously fun crowd favorites like "505" and "D Is For Dangerous".  For me though, it was some of the slower tunes here that sort of bugged me, like "Only Ones Who Know" which have always escaped me.  But there was enough good on here to cement Arctic Monkeys as one of the hottest acts around. But it's around this time that I started to get a little wary of Arctic Monkeys.  2009's "Humbug" was certainly far from bad, but it was also VERY far from what I look for in their music.  I appreciated the mystery of tracks like "Fire And The Thud" and the energy on "Potion Approaching".  But the rest of the tracks here were way too much of a mixed bag for my liking.  Arctic Monkeys returned in 2011 with "Suck It and See", which certainly had a whole lot more highlights such as "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair".  And I'll give Arctic Monkeys this, they absolutely captured this slower, gloomier pace.  But this still wasn't completely what I was looking for from the band.  I honestly was worried that I would never truly love an Arctic Monkeys album ever again.  But then came 2013's "AM", a very polarizing album.  To some, the Arctic Monkey had hit rock bottom, going for even slower, bluesier and hazy numbers.  But to me, this was a return to true greatness.  This album wasn't as exciting or as immediate as their early work.  But on "AM", Arctic Monkeys mastered the slow burn.  Alex Turner's true brilliance showed it's face, as he penned dreary tales of late night romances  and partying, and I personally loved the hell out of this album. It's been 5 long years since the Arctic Monkeys have been on the scene.  But they're back, and Mr. Turner has taken the interesting path of not releasing any singles.  Let's see how it's paid off.

    This album starts off with “Star Treatment”, and let’s get the obvious out of the way quickly.  This is neither the sound or style any of us expected.  The hazy, half-stoned, nocturnal rhythms or “AM” are long gone, and in their place is some of the dreariest Lounge music you’ll ever hear.  It’s hazy and whimsical and sounds like some twisted fantasy of Alex’s.  And I don’t think it’s honestly that bad.  I think as far as instrumentals go, this is solid, but spoiler alert they end up getting much more comfortable with this sound later on in this album.  However, it’s Alex’s very dangerous, dark rant that he goes off on that steals the show.  It’s equal parts inviting and genuinely strange.  Alex brings you in with nostalgic tales of his youth and early life.  But this is also undeniably experimental.  It’s got a great aesthetic, and while I do in a way think this is more of a warm-up, it’s not terrible.  But like I said, Arctic Monkey takes this sound to much greater lengths shortly.  Now, one thing I seriously love about this album is it’s very dark, Noire vibes.  It’s really unsettling at the end of the day.  It’s funny, leading up this album I heard Alex say something about this album bringing the graveyard to space.  And at the time, I really thought that was genuinely silly.  But now, it totally makes sense.  Alex’s performance is obviously a little tough to get into, being a series of his wordiest performances to date.  And I hope you’re not expecting to hear a chorus anytime soon, let’s say that.  This is a very ballsy album.  Arctic Monkeys in every way have hit the reset button, taking their sound back to square one.  It’s not an easy listen in the slightest.  But the way this one creeps on so slowly, and Alex’s performance gets more and more intense, it’s brilliant.  And that guitar solid is a seriously nice touch.  Now, like I said this entire album is home to one wordy performance after another.  And that doesn’t let up at all on “American Sports”.  I love just how breezy this one is, but it still remains just so eerie in the background with these almost campy synths.  I have to give Alex credit, his performances are just so intense, and it makes these verse a lot easier to swallow.  And I’m going to go out on a limb here, but we all know Alex is getting a whole lot of backlash about comparing this album to their legendary debut album.  But to an extent, I do get that, as this is easily the snarkiest attitude I’ve heard on an Arctic Monkey album I’ve heard ever since.  This is not the album I or anyone expected.  And it does in a way feel like a work in progress.  But I don’t think that makes it bad.  There are a few tracks here though that I feel on the surface are solid ideas and all, but aren't nearly as complete.  The title track is one of them.  Instrumentally, this is more of the same honest to God lounge music, with some eerier backing synths.  But I’m not nearly as into Alex’s performance here.  On the last few tracks, I’ve at least been able to really get lost in how interesting some of Alex’s rants were, and how intense they got.  On the other hand, “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” is sort of gimmicky, dare I say goofy.  And I guess I should have seen a few tracks like this coming.  I don’t think it’s terrible, instrumentally it still has a great sound.  Hell, there are some of the most genuinely passionate instrumentals of the album here, and that aesthetic is still spot on.  I just wish Alex took the reigns more a little with this. 

Now, by the time we get to “Golden Trunks”, I actually think that this is where Arctic Monkeys actually seriously get into their rhythm.  Here, for the first time in the album we’re getting some actual harmonies, who the fuck saw that coming?  Not only that, but the very ghoulish nature of them is both compelling and fun.  While in other tracks it’s come off corny, the vocals on “Golden Trunks” actually reel me in further.  There are these great, sort of Doom-oriented synths, and once again a great feeling of Noire.  If you’re into the sort of evil Doo-Wop sound of band’s like Timber Timbre, give this a shot.  And if it doesn’t hit you immediately, be patient.  Then we have “Four Out of Five”, which creeps along with the same great swagger that the boys had on “AM”.  And while Alex and company are still working with some more melodic verses there’s still such a mystery to this that I can’t help but get swept up in. Even those sort of campy synths just add so much to this atmosphere.  It’s easily one of the catchiest and immediately gratifying tracks of the album.  But while I’mm warming up to this sound as it rolls on and on, I can’t help but feel like this could be even more in the future.  This album isn’t nearly as bad as people are claiming it is.  But to me, it comes off more like an interlude, a stepping stone album.  But this is undeniably smooth, and more than anything a major shift in Arctic Monkeys career that will have you talking.  By the time “The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip” shows up, I feel like I’m literally listening to the soundtrack of some campy, black and white Horror movie.  At this point, I’m just glad to hear that Alex is bringing in some more melodies and not just ranting on and on.  But to me this is one of the more underwritten tracks here, especially compared to the last few tunes.  But this atmosphere is still intoxicating, and it’s just so much fun to get wrapped up in.  Also, Alex’s best vocals of the entire album end up here.  But with “The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip”, I feel like something is missing.  Plus, it ends horribly awkward.  On the other hand, “Science Fiction” has some low-down, dirty blues beneath all of those synths and this atmosphere.  It’s actually a really cool sound too, and probably the closest thing you’re going to hear to the sound of “AM”.  Alex may not be belting out his best vocals, but he’s just so mysterious.  Not to mention, all of these references to Horror and Science Fiction are scratching all the right itches.  It’s just so dreary and massive, and instantly ear grabbing.  But I still just can’t shake the feeling that Arctic Monkeys can go further with this sound. 

And then we have “She Looks Like Fun”, which is easily the sleaziest and biggest sounding track of the album.  But sadly, it’s also a lot more tame, and seriously hard to keep track of.  It’s almost constantly shifting between this very dreamy verse and this very crunchy sort of chorus.  It’s very freakish and har to place, but it’s also a little sloppy sadly.  There are some cool elements here and there, but it’s this album that screams to me that Arctic Monkeys are still trying to grasp this style of music.  On the other hand, I actually really love just how big and clunky “Batphone” is.  This album is filled with flaws, but Alex is such a madman that he actually ends up making some come off charming.  Alex’s very bluesy performance here is just so compelling, and while this isn’t necessarily a “heavy” track by standards, it has a ridiculous atmosphere.  Not to mention, some of these instrumentals by this point are just so bizarre and seriously out there.  And to be honest, “The Ultracheese” as a finale may just be the most dissectible and straightforward track here.  For the first time in 11 tracks, I literally feel like I’m listening to an Arctic Monkeys tune.  It’s smooth, bluesy, and a really solid piano ballad.  And I just love how in control Alex sounds of it all.  And not for nothing, it may just be Alex’s most passionate performance.  So this album isn’t bad at all, but I would be lying massively if I said it was anything I expected. 

Rating: 7.7/10

Give A Listen To: “One Point Perspective”, “Golden Trunks”, “Four Out of Five”, “Science Fiction”

Genre: Alternative Rock / Straight-Up Lounge Music / Space Rock / The hardest of left-turns in Alternative Rock history

Overall Thoughts: Alright ready boys and girls?  On the count of 3.  1....2....3.....*deep breath* Ok so this album really isn't that bad.  Let's address the elephant in the room, this is by far the hardest of left turns for Arctic Monkeys.  Nobody really knew what to expect going into this album, and there was no real way to tell.  Alex and the boys took a risk with this, trading in dreary, atmospheric Alternative Rock, and trading it in for honest to God Lounge music with Spacey instrumentals popping in.  It's a very ballsy move, and it's one that really doesn't seem to bad. The atmospheres are incredible, and while Alex's very wordy rants are hard to digest at times, they're absolutely passionate.  Now, personally, I have a feeling that this is a little more of a transitional album, and I wouldn't be too surprised if we heard from Arctic Monkeys in maybe a year or so.  But until then, I would certainly rather hear Alex Turner rant in a lounge than here Jack White lose his mind in a desperate attempt to sound relevant, or whatever the fuck Justin Timberlake was doing.