Arctic Monkeys

The Arctic Monkeys' 2006 debut was a massive hit in their native Britain and even broke the U.S. Top 40. The excitement of the new is gone for this follow-up, but the Arctic Monkeys prove they weren't a flash in the pan. Here, their guitar sound is streamlined, putting even more of a spotlight on Alex Turner's cheeky teenage narratives. The feel of the AMs sets them apart more than their sound does. They don't ape the Beatles, the Smiths or the Jam, but update their quintessentially English approach, showing that poor, provincial yobs can see right through their "betters."

The 2006 debut from these punky, huge-at-home English boys rocked and popped with
straightforward brilliance while doubling as a primer on working-class Sheffield nightlife. A
bit heavier and not as immediate, Favourite Worst Nightmare is a slightly lesser record,
though by no means a Difficult Second Album. The basic stuff is the same as the debut's:
momentum, alternately fluid and hard-riffing guitars, and Alex Turner's lithe sing... More >