Arctic Monkeys preview

Arctic Monkeys
Riviera, Chicago
Tuesday, May 8, 2007

England’s year-old next-big-things survive the sophomore jinx on Favourite Worst Nightmare (Domino) but almost get stuck in gear.

Everything about last year’s breakout Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not was a young band pretending they were older. The art on the CD itself was a photo of an ashtray, filled with the very things most teens think make them look older (and thus cooler): cigarettes. Alex Turner’s pissy lyrics attacked rock ‘n’ roll’s most infamous troublemaker — the ubiquitous “you” — and the band made a point of circumventing tradition by avoiding the teen-pop mags and building a fanbase through touring and online song trading.

Yet in the press notes for Favourite Worst Nightmare, Turner contends the band are avoiding slower material because they don’t want to appear grown up. Hmmm.

For better or worse, FWN is packed with songs that would have been perfect fits for the debut. Turner still seems to be spitting at his enemies and whomever he misses guitarist Jamie Cook is their to rip their skin with a jagged riff. But the album also boasts an awkward couple of growth spurts: “Only Ones Who Know,” “Do Me A Favour,” and “505.” While the first and third break the slow songs rule, “Favour” finds the band careening down an unexpected (and somewhat trite) avenue: the crescendo. As it pounds its way out of existence, you can almost hear the band trying to figure out how they could have ended up here. Favourite Worst Nightmare is the sound of knowing the first act is over, but not having a script ready for the second.

Be Your Own Pet will open.

— Steve Forstneger

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly