Released 11th May 2018

This mouthful of an album title.. Tranquility base hotel and Casino is the latest installment in the evolution of the Arctic Monkeys.

Following the triumph of AM, an album I can still play back to back and get excited by the huge riffs! It is also a brilliant album to hear live, if I can throw a quick brag your way. I was lucky enough to here it in all its glory at Finsbury Park in 2013.

Tranquility base had been so eagerly anticipated by monkeys fans like me. Fortunately we had The Last Shadow Puppets The Dream Synopsis to keep us occupied in the mean time. It is safe to say this album had a lot to live up to at least for me personally.

The album dropped.

This was one of the few albums that I had my finger hovering over the download button on the day of its release. Poised headphones at the ready waiting patiently as each track loads onto my phone.

Prior to the album's release Arctic Monkeys had announced their tour. In a marketing masterstroke tickets were made available before their new and possibly most experimental album yet.

With tickets bought, (Not me I'm not made of money) and Tranquility Based dropped and left a confusing taste in many a mouth.

This album is so far from the Arctic Monkeys that made it big with the help of Myspace in 2005.

Alex Turner decided to ditch his guitar that has served him so well and embraced his inner Bowie. Turner, Helders and Co. have been criticized by plenty for abandoning their rough around the edges Sheffield routes and going full LA rocker on us.

Accents have softened and desperate teenage angst has waned in the last 13 years but in my opinion the wit grows stronger. I must admit that upon first listen I was conflicted...

The Bowie influence was ever present in Turner's inflections and the refocus towards the piano is a refreshing change to what we are used to from the band. The track that stood out to me when I first listened was Ultracheese. I thought it was a beautifully melancholy finale to the album. Its painfully relatable from the off.

'Still got pictures of friends on the wall, though they aren't really friends anymore.'

It is delicate and raw and a prime example of singer-songwriter loveliness (that's a technical term you know). It has far more of a Submarine Soundtrack vibe to it than classic monkeys but I am not complaining. It is Musically reminiscent of the ethereal Five Years on Ziggy Stardust.

It definitely took me a few more dedicated listens in a quiet room through good headphones to appreciate the lyrical intelligence that permeates through the album.

'Tranquility base hotel and casino, Mark speaking please tell me how may I direct your call?'

The whole album is audacious, bombastic , hilarious, emotional, slick, silly, ballsy as well as artistic. AM will remain a firm favourite of mine but i cannot help but appreciate what I think the band is trying to do with Tranquility Base .

It is a huge departure from what they are known and loved for but they went for it anyway. I could be wrong in saying this but I think it was a brazen attempt at an old school concept album. A wonderful love letter to 1970s and of course an homage to the late great David Bowie. Whilst being able to maintain a suave sense of humour throughout grounded in the Arctic Monkey's identity.

If I were wearing a hat I would tip it.

Long may it continue lads....do believe the Hype

#indie #alternative #AM #TranquilityBaseHotelandCasino #ArcticMonkeys #AlbumReview #AlexTurner #MattHelders