Single Review: Arctic Monkeys

'Brainstorm’ single

 Review By Graham Emmerson

Cast your mind way back to those heady days of 2005 when our lives were dramatically different: Thatcher was in power, the Cold War was heating up, and ‘The Hand Of God’ denied England. Maybe that’s going back a bit far, but it seems hard to think of a time pre-Monkeys, such is their impact.

After finding their way into every home, office and garden shed in Britain, the pressure is on with this speedy follow-up. Any concerns though, are blown away in the first 30 seconds. Their heaviest single to date, ‘Brainstorm’, is a confident beast of a song that amplifies every quality of their previous work through a pedal marked ‘rock’. It wouldn’t be terribly cynical to say they have a considered eye on cracking America with this track.

Arctic Monkeys are no longer a band hanging around the streets of Sheffield documenting what they see. This is a band who have taken on the world, kicked it’s arse with one hand behind their backs and have even more compelling stories to tell.

Alex Turner can still mercilessly destroy with one pithy couplet, with the sniper again aimed directly at the heart of the fashionista’s, “We can’t take our eyes off the T-shirts and ties combination/ Well see you later innovator”.

Louder, bolder, bigger and perhaps better than ever. They might have only been gone a short while, but it’s good to have them back.



 

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