Brit Rock
Arctic Monkeys
Favourite Worst Nightmare
***
The younger you are, the more things feel unique. So maybe we should first point out that Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner is still just 21. His band’s second full-length release is peppered with tales of weirdos and scalawags and burnouts that Turner probably believes are singularly cool. Of course, these stories are no different from what anybody who gets a little too wasted at their local pub on a semi-regular basis will experience on a semi-regular basis.
Still, it’s entertaining (especially if you’re a fan of The Strokes and Franz Ferdinand and The White Stripes) to hear Turner spin his favorite stories with an off-kilter punk swagger that only exists in the young. “Brianstorm” kicks things off well. After a minute and a half, Turner turns this line: “She’ll be saying, ‘Use me’/‘Show me the jacuzzi,’” and here, he wisely leaves the rest of the hot-tub fantasy to your imagination.
The end of “Do Me a Favour” can rouse even the sleepiest drunk into a slobbering frenzy. “This House Is a Circus” is, as its title suggests, a great song to transform any house party into a slam-dancing affair. “The Bad Thing” encourages you to “take off your wedding ring” and get all naughty, and why not, when Turner makes it sound so fun.
But Turner has the tenderness of an innocent young fella, too. “Only Ones Who Know” isn’t as contemplative as Interpol’s best work, but it’s close. It’s a song about the feeling of pure possibility that comes with meeting someone new and deciding that every moment, for right now at least, can be the greatest adventure. And here, you’re happy that Turner’s still just 21.