In 2009, Arctic Monkeys were flying high off of two of the most successful albums in British history. Their debut became the fastest-selling debut in music history and their second followed that up with a worthy sequel. The band had been launched from school friends playing in a warehouse to one of the most successful bands in Britain. But the band was exhausted with their spontaneous garage rock sound. They were looking for something more sophisticated and Josh Homme of the band Queens of the Stone Age was there to help.
The band camped out in Joshua Tree with Homme and went berserk experimenting with heavy riffs and attempting to create songs that called back to Nick Cave and Jimi Hendrix. Alex Turner, the lead singer and songwriter, found the poetry of Bob Dylan alluring and started writing songs that didn’t follow typical lyrical structure.
The previous two Arctic Monkeys albums opened with energetic drums. They encapsulated the never stopping sound of those albums, but their next album, “Humbug,” opens with the slow, methodical “My Propellor.” The lyrical content of this song is rather ambiguous. Is it about a boat? His mood? His sex life? Turner sure isn’t telling us, but that’s what makes this song such a compelling opener. The second song and lead single, “Crying Lightning,” follows this ambiguous lyrical trend, with twisting, confusing, Dylanesque wordplay, and Hendrix-like guitar work.
Tracks three and eight are sexy. That’s the only word I can think of. Charisma is oozing off of Turner’s vocals. In that same vein, “Pretty Visitors.” This is the heaviest song the band ever made, and is all the better for it. A loud gothic organ opens the song, as Turner sprints through nonsense lyrics. A simple four-note overdriven guitar pattern sits behind Turner’s lyrics about stage fright in the spotlight he’s been placed in. This song is the concept of the album distilled.
The songs “Cornerstone” and “Secret Door” tone down the volume but crank up the poetry. The lyrics tell vivid stories and Turner’s delivery makes the emotion feel real.
The closer, “The Jeweller’s Hands,” is so connected to the sonic cohesion of the album, but also a tease of what’s to come. Not with their smash “AM” album, but the music they’d put out later. “The Jeweller’s Hands” uses piano and backing vocals in a style that would become the band’s glam sound.
Arctic Monkeys were a very British band. Most of their support was from their home country, and to make a very SoCal album like “Humbug,” they put off some of their British fans. Their American fans wouldn’t come around just yet, but four years later, they would make Arctic Monkeys into a huge hit.