In 2005, I was 14 years old. Like many girls my age, I consumed too many hours watching MTV. I am from a generation where music, videos, consumption suggestions and above all, the historical time of the era that I will try to analyze today. You see, we were already enjoying the glorious stage of the early 2000's in rock music. Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Avril Lavigne, etc. were some of the performers that marked a historical milestone, and if I may add, they also did it with many of the lives of those of us who lived that moment.
"I bet you look good on the dancefloor". That song was the bridge between me and the total ignorance of who these guys from Sheffield, England were. A song full of that rough, melodic and youthful sound so typical of English rock. As if we took a blender and added some of The Clash and The Smiths... A beautiful mix between the rebelliousness of the culture that saw the birth of the first half of punk rock on the planet, and the sensitive, romantic and introspective side that only The Smiths could have shown to everyone. For me, it was love at first sight.
Simply put, I couldn't believe the kind of band I had before my senses. They had it all. They were ironic and British enough to be recognized worldwide. They also represented that third wave of pop-rock created in the lands that saw The Beatles immortalized. I remember the outfit the Monkeys used to wear and clearly, they were closer to an amateur garage band performance than what I had to endure for about an hour at the beginning of 2023? My God, what a misery that was...
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The albums that made rock and roll revive in the second decade of the 2000's, were precisely those where Arctic Monkeys had everything to do with it. If nobody listens to rock these days, don't forget that this trend started in early 2012 or so.... And it was in that period that "AM" was released. A work of art from start to finish. The same magazine specialized in music, Rolling Stones cataloged the album and the band, as "sublime". An adjective that I subscribe to, and not only that, I would like to add that it is even better 11 years later. It has aged beautifully.
However, not everything can be perfect or idyllic forever. And part of this post is about that. From the confession/talk I had with a great friend about how this band, voluntarily, decided to move away from what they themselves built with so much talent to meddle in the most overblown theatrics and absurd drama I have ever seen.... And yes, I'm referring to the last two Monkeys albums. Where, honestly, I struggle to salvage a couple of songs.... And yes, the band's "Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino" (2018) and "The Car" (2022), have been more marketing and melancholy than anything else....
And yes, I know you'll probably tell me "it's that artists, musicians evolve their sound and modify their works as they evolve". And they're probably partially right, but I honestly can't believe they've left the essence of what they used to be. The Beatles on their White Album, were not the same as on the debut (With The Beatles...) but you know what they kept at the core, at their essence? The pentatonic sound of the guitar, the harmonies and melodies of the vocals. That's why we all love "Get Back" because it's talented but undeniably full of the Fab Four's stamp.
Furthermore, I'm not saying that the Arctic Monkeys have to do the same thing that other bands decided to do, no. I'm just saying that sometimes the eagerness to be "unique" can, and does happen, sink the band's own legacy. It's just that sometimes the drive to be "unique" can, and does, sink the group's own legacy. Alex Turner, vocalist, guitarist and leader of the "Monkeys" is a fantastic musician but also extremely naive. Everything we can hear in the band's music on their last two albums, already existed in Turner's solo projects.... It sounds like a joke but it's real. Think about it, compare them, if you will, the music (the kind of music) Arctic Monkeys used to make in 2013,2014, 2015, 2016, with whatever they have done now.... Too bad.
