Arctic Monkeys

You could never accuse Arctic Monkeys of making anything easy for themselves. Their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, topped every end-of-year poll going, and became the fastest-selling debut in British chart history. Those are just the facts. But revolutions are about more than mere facts; and this rewired a generation, broke the boundaries between the moshpit and the dancefloor, invalidated the whole concept of celebrity culture to become that rarest of things, a smash hit with its soul intact. Most bands take years to whip up that sort of acclaim.

How could even these four talented young men hope to follow that? Forgive us for stating the obvious, but you go and make a better one. Arctic Monkeys had actually started work on WPSIA,TWIN with Simian Mobile Disco’s James Ford and Mike Crossey, before they’d really become producers du jour, but for one reason or another, the sessions were abandoned and the job was completed by Jim Abiss. But sensing kindred spirits – and with a renewed sense of confidence in their instincts after everything went so spectacularly right first time – they returned to their old mentors, whose star had risen in line with their own over the previous two years. “I think it was very obvious from when we did that first session that it was sound with them,” affirms Alex, “they understood it.” “And,” adds Jamie, “they’re not much older than us really.”

After locking themselves away from the world first time round, the band decided to record in Miloco Studios in Shoreditch, East London, “getting all new rave in East London,” says Matt, slyly. The experience saw them embrace full flow of the city, going out, living life and even having a bit of a party. “I think you can really hear it in the snare sound!” jokes Matt, but he’s closer to the truth than he thinks.

The other big change within the ranks of Arctic Monkeys was the introduction of old friend Nick O’Malley on bass halfway through last year. This, too, was taken in everybody’s stride. “I’d known them all since I was 10 years old,” says Nick of his new bandmates. “We’ve all lived in the same area, so it wasn’t like coming into a band where I didn’t know what they’d be like. It’s just been a laugh really, it’s been fine.”

So with the numbers back up, it’s time for Act 2. Favourite Worst Nightmare is everything you hoped Arctic Monkeys would do next.  Not so much a sequel as an upgrade, a breakneck technicolour journey through screwball punk and guitar-fuelled dancefloor heroics, it’s very, very fast and very, very loud; a brilliant racket that proves there’s infinitely more to Arctic Monkeys than writing pretty little ditties. Yet at the same time boasting some of the strongest songs they’ve ever written.  Arctic Monkeys will be descending on Osheaga Sunday, September 9th - come catch the madness of “Arctic Monkeys: Act 2” live!

www.arcticmonkeys.com