Arctic Monkeys Go Darker, Show Staying Power

With their latest album, Britain’s Arctic Monkeys show they haven’t let the media hype get the better of them. Alex Turner and Co. try some new directions without abandoning the “good stuff” from “their usual territory,” writes Joe Tangari for Pitchfork. Humbug is “their loosest record yet by far,” with “snapping” guitars and production that emphasizes Turner’s dark lyrics.

It takes a few listens to get into Humbug, which “perhaps reflects that the Arctics, having established and subsequently defended their place in the UK pop firmament, can now afford to make a record that grows on you rather than walloping you in the face repeatedly.” While the first single is “aggressive,” the album’s best tune is “beyond lovelorn.” The record “demonstrates a great deal of staying power for a band that could have imploded before it ever got this far.”
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