No need for an introduction; unless your head has been stuffed full of cotton wool and your eyes replaced by mirrors for the past two years, you'll know that Arctic Monkeys are the biggest band in Britain and beyond right now. Their position at the top of the pile is wholly legitimate, though - not only are the Sheffield quartet critical darlings, their record-obliterating album sales pay testament to the fact that the proof is indeed, in the pudding. Having sold in excess of two million copies worldwide of last year's Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, Alex Turner and co. aren't ones to rest on their laurels while waiting for the paycheques to roll in; nor, surprisingly, are they cashing in on their popularity by lazily churning out a continuation of album number one, as so many bands with successful debuts do. Favourite Worst Nightmare is a super-sharp and bold musical step forward for Arctic Monkeys; a collection of twelve songs that equal, if not better anything from their overture. Lead single Brianstorm sets the pace magnificently; it's a rollicking, instantly explosive tune with a riff like an Ennio Morricone-meets-Gang of Four alliance; Teddy Picker's villainous lick and subtle stylistic alterations are completely thrilling, and the lyrical content of songs like Balaclava demonstrate Turner's already-established talent for songwriting "Are you pulling her from a burning building, or throwing her to the sharks? / Can only hope that the ending is as pleasurable as the start". The notable departure from previous material comes in the form of a trio of rich-sounding, '60s rock 'n' roll tunes - the superbly-titled Fluorescent Adolescent, the gorgeous Roy Orbison-style ballad Only Ones Who Know, and the almost rockabilly-esque Do Me A Favour, which suggests that they've been listening to early '90s Morrissey in the studio. There's not a single bad track on Favourite Worst Nightmare - only ones that might take you longer to love. If there's a band who can match Arctic Monkeys for lyrical articulation, musical poise and sheer innovation, step forward now; the bar has just been raised yet again.
