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Reviews
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Domino, 2006)
Targeted as the, "the next big sensation" The Arctic Monkeys have skyrocketed
into today's contemporary music world with the album, Whatever People Say I
am, That's What I'm Not. With 13 total tracks in about 41 minutes, the
album reaches out to today's youth with many catchy, up tempo songs. Much like the
Beatles start in the underground of the UK, The Arctic Monkey's are emerging to
prove that Britain still indeed has what it takes to lead music. The
album, which is reminiscent of The Strokes, The Smiths and The Clash,
commands a listen from anyone who begins to play the opening track.
Starting with, "The View From the Afternoon," the upbeat rhythm is rarely
dropped throughout the whole album. Right away with the opening chords, this
song tells the listener what The Arctic Monkey's are about; indie rock that
must be played loud. What perhaps makes this song so unique,
along with the other songs on the album is the lyrics which go along with them.
The tunes may be reminiscent of other songs released in the past, but the lyrics
capture what it is to be a 19 or 20 year old in today's world. In addition, the
lyrics touch on many of the hypocritical aspects of today's society, for
instance in "A Certain Romance" Lex Turner states, "Over there, there's broken
bones, there's only music, so that there's new ringtones."
What also makes this band so appealing is that fans of all different genres
are turning to this album and, believe it or not, simply enjoying it. Some
would even go so far as to say this album covers all different genres from ska,
punk, reggae, pop, rock n' roll and funk. Hints of all of these influences can
be found throughout the tracks, however, this is not what makes The Arctic
Monkey's so addictive. In fact, one of the key factors that has led to their
sudden burst of success is the unarguable catchiness of their songs. Following many
music norms, they speak of problems which kids and adults alike can relate to in
relatively short, fast paced songs.
In addition, one must remember when listening to this album that it is their
first release. With that in mind and the fact that a group of 19/20
year olds produced this, it's hard not to be stunned. There is no hint
of arrogance in these lyrics, merely a group of kids voicing what they're
dealing with today. Not only that, but the relatively petty problems of a group
of Yorkshire kids has sold over 300,000 copies in the past 6 months, making it
one of the fastest selling debut albums ever. Whether you believe that The
Arctic Monkeys are going to be the next Beatles or not, the album Whatever
People Say I am, That's What I'm Not is a good listen and worth checking out.
Sassy Mohen
Chapman Radio (www.chapmanradio.com)