Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare

UK's latest and greatest new sensation, The Arctic Monkeys, come up with a follow up to their smash debut, 'Whatever They Say I Am, I'm Not' with more experience under their belts. Overall, they add some texture and, as the title suggests, the darker aspects of their brain hemispheres for the lyrics. While I don't possess their heralded debut, I know by listening to the samplers that this album has more variety, but less of the immediacy of their first C.D.

Starting with "Brainstorm," we get a propulsive electrical storm that provides a cyclical effect reminiscent of the 'Pulp Fiction' soundtrack. In the fast forward vein they still deliver their best, fronted by Alex Turner's trajectory of images that sometimes seems like alternative's free association answer to rap. Never getting tongue tied, Alex's words, nevertheless, don't always integrate well into the mesmerizing mix. Following the "Brainstorm," "Teddy Picker" comes to the fore with arguably the album's best song. Proving that experience hasn't tarnished the band, anti-glam "Teddy..." is truly an intricate gem. Keeping in the third person, we get lines about women who make love go wrong. Included is that propulsive assertion for "D Is for Dangerous" with some scathing words for some wayward girl known as "Your favourite worst nightmare". Later, "Do Me a Favour" featuring Ventures'-like sounds, asks the lamented beloved to "Break my nose." And "Old Yellow Bricks" seals the bad deal, lamenting "You're a fugitive, but you don't know what you're running away from." The playful "This House Is a Circus" and the heavy "The Bad Thing" almost live up to the aforementioned, but new territory is achieved with the shimmering "Fluorescent Adolescent" and the Stray Cats-like "Only One Who Knows".

At their best, Arctic Monkeys gives us some new hooks and elaborations of what they've already accomplished. When they're effective, they connect well. Sometimes the trajectory flows like a dream; at other times the whole project is ordinary and stuck in idle. For those who The Undertones, this album reminds one of the transition when they went from the propulsive punk to the artiness of 'Positive Touch'. Hopefully, with gradual changes, The Arctic Monkeys won't undergo the Undertones' fate.

This is a great standard release. Gatefold has nice artwork and the record sounds solid and quiet.

Art work inside is really cool great album don’t listen to it that often and wouldn’t say it’s a “must have” but it’s nice to listen to if your in an emo mood

Does the rear cover state made in the U.S.A. ? My version states made in Canada. Same barcode, different matrix ; Side A: 1-534467-A-RP-1 (Etched) Side B: 1-534467-B-RP-1 (Etched)