Not my usual brand of indie rock, but still a pretty good album. An interesting look into clubbing & pub hopping in North England from Alex Turner's perspective. Not subject matter I can really relate too, but a good listen and a good laugh at times nonetheless.
Speaks to me of a time and place and brings me back to being that again and in that place again every time I turn it on. It’s also, not afraid to turn the lens back on that culture and to me it’s both involved in and way more self consciously critical of elements of it than I think is often reflected in commentary.
I've somehow managed to never listen to Arctic Monkeys even though I think I was their target audience during college because this album was everywhere and everyone was going gaga over it. This is the album I would have checked out during that period if I gave it a chance. I had a feeling I knew what they sounded like anyways and I had a feeling it wasn't for me. Now cut forward about 17 years and here we are. It's exactly like I thought it would sound and still isn't for me.
I discovered the Arctic Monkeys in college, which is when I started getting really into indie music/music blogs. This album has some nostalgia attached to it for me but I really like it.
Always struggled with this. Messy and just doesn’t hook me - Later stuff much better.
Don't think I've listened to this album front to back since the year it came out. One of my best friends, who at the time walked around looking like Ben Sherman had barfed on him, was going through a douche bag phase and got addicted to this album. I think that was part of the turn off for me, as there was a certain type in America who embraced the Arctic Monkeys and that wasn't my scene. I always moved more with weed and psychedelic types than coke in the bathroom of a dive bar types. So I usually went to the former kind of shows over the latter, and I skipped AM every time they came through. Listening to this now, I like it more than I did at the time. It has an energy that reminds me of the time and all the bad choices everyone I knew (me too) was making. But it's not an album of nostalgia for me, it's one that makes me think of the regret of a morning after and assholes who had no regret the morning after. This really peaks in Riot Van. I'll probably come back and listen to this again, I do think it's better than some of that scene upon this listen, still not my main cup of tea, just not as grating and obnoxious as it was to me in the 00s. 3 stars leaning to 3.5
One of my favorite albums from the mid 2000's. I remember listening to a bunch of bootlegs from the band in anticipation of the album release. Really brings me back to my senior year of college.
So I've had this album since the day it was released in the States, so I am very familiar with it. I think the Strokes comparisons are pretty apt, as it has that "sound"/"voice" of a generation going on. Iconic black and white cover art and infectious singles. How does it hold up 16 years later? Separated from the hype, I think it's still a strong rock album, but I don't have it in my top 10 or so of the decade. To me, it's always been a half step behind the classics of the decade like Is This It, Turn On The Bright Lights, and others as I felt that it was a little unbalanced at times. The singles/best songs are absolute killer, but there's a few too many weak tracks for a perfect score.
I remember distinctly hearing about the Arctic Monkey's debut through a Neil Young mailing list when it first came out and being immediately in love with it. I think I was just surfacing from being less focused on music and more on raising little ones at the time, and it was just what I needed with its urgency and brashness. Plus being from Southern California it gave a real insight into experiences that were completely unfamiliar to me. On the earlier albums especially the Arctic Monkeys displayed a talent for putting you in their moment.
This band and album came just a bit too late for me to get into. Sadly, full-time work and the misery of adulthood had hit hard by this point, and I wasn't really listening to music much. So I've heard "I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor" before, I'm sure every one in the world has. Everything else is new to me so far, decent indie rock and I love the singer's accent. Frank Spencer! I like the copper bashing song, "Riot Van". I thought I might recognize "Mardy Bum" but nope, new to me this one! Ooh, I know this one! (When The Sun Goes Down) Who came first, The Strokes or Arctic Monkeys?! I checked, I think The Strokes were first. "Just cos he's had a couple of cans, he thinks it's alright to act like a dickhead." Haha, just about everywhere on a Friday / Saturday night in the late 90s / early 00s!! That was alright, that. Can't give half stars, as I'd give it 2.5 / 5, so I'll go with 2 because it wasn't /that/ good.
The Artic Monkeys debut is a fine modern punk pop album. I fail to see what all the fuss is about. They are fine.