They may claim they haven't matured a bit, but there's no denying that Humbug sounds different to previous Arctic Monkeys offerings. Unfortunately, that means that if you were a fan of their cheeky chappy persona and punky pop tunes, then you may be disappointed by their third album. But you'd be wrong. This more sophisticated, yet still attitude packed album proves these Sheffield lads are teenagers no longer.
Co-produced by Queens of The Stone Age's Josh Homme, there's a new hard rock edge to Humbug, but clearly, Alex Turner's time working on his sideproject, The Last Shadow Puppets, has had an influence on his songwriting, too. Humbug sounds more like a Last Shadow Puppets album than an Arctic Monkeys one, minus the elaborate string arrangements. While Humbug's sound is still rooted in guitar rock, it's a fuller sound, with rich harmonies and dark undertones.
While Turner still has a way with words, he no longer relies on droll lyricism to win over his audience, but now has the songs to match. Lead single 'Crying Lightning' is the gem of the bunch, with its bursts of guitar, minor harmonies and marching band style drums rolls. 'Dance Little Liar' is a close runner up, though, as its eerie oohs and distorted bass slowly build to an immense climax, complete with rocking guitar solo.
Sadly, few of the remaining tracks match the power and allure of the single. Even a guest appearance from The Kills/The Dead Weather's Allison Mosshart can't quite redeem 'Fire and The Thud' from its underwhelming beginnings, while 'Cornerstone' is too polite and ballad-like to be much more than just average. The end result is an album that brings the Arctic Monkeys into a whole new class, but falls just short of the calibre the Monkeys now seem capable of achieving.
