Alex Turner
Alex Turner warned us that the Arctic Monkey’s new material was going to be different, and he wasn’t lying. Anybody still in longing for I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor part 2 are going to be pretty dissappointed, this new track couldn’t be anymore different.
They’ve beefed up their sound and picked up from where some of the more heavier and darker moments on the last album left off, with a helping hand from Queens Of The Stone Age front man, Josh Homme, who was on production duties this time round. Anyone familiar with his work will notice the song’s guitar solo oozes of Homme’s style.
Now on album number 3, they had to embrace a new direction to keep things fresh. Crying Lightning is not as immediate as most of their previous singles. If you like the darker side of The Coral with flashes of The Rascals then this might be your sort of thing. Its reminiscent of the mood on songs like 505 and Do Me A Favour on the last record, but doesn’t quite manage to match their quality.
Something that hasn’t changed is the wit and clever wordplay in Turner’s lyrics. I’m looking forward to hearing thousands of people sing in unison “My thoughts got rude as you talked and chewed on the last of your pick n’ mix” when they go on tour, he’s a cheeky boy that Alex Turner. After repeated listens I don’t think this is the Arctic Monkeys at their best. I can’t help but think this song sounds like it was destined to be a solid album track rather than a lead single as it has that quality about it. It is decent enough though, and has whet my appetite for an album that I hope has some belters on it.
Matt Humphrey