Arctic Monkeys - “The Car” Album Review

Story posted October 26, 2022 in Arts & Entertainment by Abby Rockovich.

The Arctic Monkeys are back with a new album after not releasing music since 2018. The 37 million monthly listeners were excited for their album, “The Car '' to drop. This album offered a variety of slow, jazz songs with a heavy orchestra backdrop, which is much different from their typical rock genre.

The Arctic Monkeys teased their new album in August and fans have been waiting in agony the past three months for the album to drop.

Alex Turner, the lead singer of the band, really shines in this album. In the first track, “There’d better be a Mirrorball” he sings about the ending of a relationship and the intense emotions that follow. The strings tie in the lyrics and melody to create a perfect smooth jazz song.

The mood quickly changes with their third track, “Sculptures of Anything Goes;” this song has a deep, intense drum beat that can be comparable to the infamous Balenciaga runway music. This song explains the feelings of managing a relationship. Turner sings, “Baby, those mixed messages ain't what they used to be.” Poor guy.

Continuing with the melancholy feel, is track five, “Body Paint.” This song explains the lingering sensation you feel even when you are no longer with someone. Turner hits the listener with the lyrics, “Do your time traveling through the tanning booth, so you don’t let the sun catch you crying.” Ouch, not letting the sun catch you crying is a different type of hurt. 

The 6th track, “The Car” which the album is named after really tugs at the heart strings as it appeals to feelings of being young and celebrating the holidays. The lyrics, “And you pretend to fall asleep on the way back,” is something I think most listeners can relate to. It’s the universal memory of being young driving home from some sort of holiday party and slowly closing your eyes during the drive.

This song really sums up the overall feel of the Album. The Album is intense with the songs “Sculptures of Anything Goes” and “Big Ideas” which are then offset by the funky beats in the songs, “Hello you” and “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am,”

All the songs in the album have a melancholy feel, whether it's talking about hardships in a relationship or yearning to be young again. “The Car” will have you tearing up.

“The Car” is very different from their early days when they released the rock albums, “AM” and “Favorite Worst Nightmare”. Their new album expresses the same amount of emotion as their earlier albums but channels it in a slow, jazz feel that I think an older audience would really enjoy.

Their previous songs “505” and “Why’d You only call me when you're high” seemed to have been a big hit with younger generations as it gave an indie/edge feel. The album “The Car '' although still good, does not provide the same indie/edge feel that those songs did.

Good news for listeners who loved the new album. The Arctic Monkeys will be starting their tour April 25, 2023, in Munich Germany and ending it October 1,  2023, in Inglewood, California.

Rating: 6/10

Reviewer’s Favorite Tracks: “The Car”
Reviewers Least Favorite Tracks: “Sculptures of Anything Goes”

Abby Rockovich is a first-year majoring in communications. To contact her, email agr5395@psu.edu.