Who the F are the Artic Monkeys? On their 6th LP they force us to ask again. Early in the game the Sheffield lads were snotty Rock 'N Roll savants then they took a turn into heavier desert sounds that felt like a revitalization for guitar music. On AM they incorporated ideas from R&B & Rap, & now they've taken a hard left turn into loungy weirdness. This is the first record Alex Turner's written on the piano, & it often feels like he's searching for new melodies throughout. While the lyrics can certainly feel self indulgent, the beauty of these new tracks is Turner's leaning on some the influences of some other strange & staggering lyricists, with a feel that ranges from Bowie, to Cohen, to Waits, & then back again.

"Suck it & See" is the 2011 album from ARCTIC MONKEYS & in spite of the cocky album title, we're wondering if these guys are softening (or just maturing) a little bit. 'Softening' shouldn't be viewed as a negative term here, many of the songs remind us of THE SMITHS, especially Alex Turner's Morrissey-esque crooning & there's a little STROKES & WALKMEN sounds in there too. We expect that this album will sound better with a few more listens too. Vinyl version comes on 180g vinyl & contains download.

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"As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. All will be well in the garden."

"Boys of Summer" was the hit (and deservedly so - it's legit one of the best covers of all time), but the rest of this LP is above-average emo pop punk that'll take you right back to the dog days of '03/04. RIYL: JIMMY EAT WORLD, YELLOWCARD, JAWBREAKER/ JETS TO BRAZIL...