Arctic Monkeys - AM

I and a great deal many others tuned into the BBC coverage of this year's Glastonbury and spent an uncomfortable period of time wincing over Alex Turner's new mannerisms and stage performance. In recent memory only one other Briton has undergone such a drastic and embarrassing transatlantic personality change (Joss Stone), and it filled me with fears that the Arctic Monkeys - not exactly the most American-sounding band, would soon falter.

I had a read back over the review I made of 2011's Suck it and See and was surprised to see that I'd not only given it an 8.5, but also called it my second favourite album of theirs. Whatever I was smoking at the time soon wore off, and it became pretty boring pretty fast. It now stands, in my opinion, as just about their weakest (Humbug remains divisive, but at least interesting). Where will #5 stand? (For now, that is...)

If there were any concerns, 'Do I Wanna Know?' shook them off quite rapidly. Toeing the line in perfect balance between their newfound love of rock-n-roll swagger and their old ears for melody and eccentricity, the track finds the Monkeys drunk and in love with someone not returning their calls. "Maybe I'm too busy being yours to fall for somebody new" is the crux of the problem, but it's seldom put so listenable. Last year's preview 'R U Mine?' treads largely the same territory, and as such comes off a little repetitive. Glam rock elements burst onto 'One for the Road', and by 'Arabella' Turner sounds almost exactly the same as John Lennon; both interesting new directions for the Monkeys, and both work well. The latter is an echoey, sex-fuelled testament to a woman's infectious, spell-binding presence -  some metaphors are crude ("Wraps her lips 'round a Mexican Coke/ makes you wish that you were the bottle") and others are a little more classic AM ("A helter-skelter round her little finger and I ride it endlessly" is reminiscent of Crying Lightning) - whilst the former a simple request for one last time together.

Some musical directions aren't quite pulled off, though: the Joy Divisionesque bass-and-jerky-guitars backing on 'I Want It All' aren't quite suited enough to its repetitive structure (down to the Rolling Stones references and "shoo wop"s). On 'Fireside', too, they experiment to mixed results: a latin guitar dominates, and leaves the otherwise straightforward song a little drowned out. Indeed, when they strip everything back they can sound their best: 'No.1 Party Anthem' is easily the album's standout track, and a gorgeous one at that - though that might just be its passing resemblance to Only Ones Who Know making me fall in love all over again. Equally romantic and doe-eyed is 'Mad Sounds', right down to repeated ooh la-la-la-las and a strong Velvet Underground vibe. 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?' is an odd choice for a single, then, given its stark similarities to the two that preceded it  - but I guess, at #8, it's their highest charting one since 2007, so it may just be me.

The honky-tonk elements of 'Snap Out of It' are incredibly pastiche and as such make it the only track I'm feeling obliged to skip every time, now, but it does have some charm (in the same sense some Robbie Williams songs have charm: they shouldn't). I'm not massively sold on 'Knee Socks', either, but its refrain towards the end has some soulful vocals referencing Be My Baby that make it a lot of fun. Fun is a scarce element on AM given its predisposition with girls not returning Turner's calls, but using poet John Cooper Clarke is a stroke of genius for closer 'I Wanna Be Yours' - putting a fitting voice to his simple things romanticism ("Let me be your leccy meter, and I'll never run out").

AM by name alone might try and be the defining Arctic Monkeys record, but given the nature of those first two albums that's a bit of a mountain to climb. Instead, the album stands as their strongest of their most recent three, and the first in a long time that feels like it hasn't been hobbled together from a bunch of studio cuts. The encompassing themes of forlorn love and massively retro sounds make it a cohesive, enjoyable listen and, whilst it has a few duds, it has enough diamonds too. If you fancy a good giggle, go read the wildly hyperbolic review from the NME for this.

Rating: 7.5/10
Highlights: Mad Sounds; No.1 Party Anthem; Do I Wanna Know?; One for the Road; Arabella
Avoid: Snap Out Of It

Artwork Watch: I...well I guess it stands out... *mumbles, walks away bored*
Up next: CHVRCHES