Arctic Monkeys: “The Car” (Album Review)

Genres: Baroque Pop, Chamber Pop, Art Rock

        The Car is a sequel of sorts to Arctic Monkeys’ stylistically redefining album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. Unfortunately, The Car doesn’t have nearly the same amount of flair that TBH&C does. Despite being a progression of this established sound, the artificiality and lack of direction make this record feel like a regression instead. 

        Alex Turner is a great vocalist, but his performance across the album doesn’t do a great job of showcasing this. In earlier work, such as “Florescent Adolescent” off the 2007 release, Favourite Worst Nightmare, Turner sings with such heavy personality. It’s not quite unfiltered, but it is filled with roguish energy and an endearing charm. This aspect of what made the band’s music stand out is almost completely gone on The Car. Turner’s vocals are not necessarily “bad” but don’t service the album in a way that’s meaningful. Any spice and passion present in previous Arctic Monkeys' work are gone. That’s not to say that this album was created without these qualities, but that it’s been so polished that you can’t find evidence that it’s there.

        The biggest setback with The Car as an album is how it leans towards a style that Turner has a clear admiration for, but does not understand. Retro sounds and the 70s music influence come off as gimmicky and not natural. An example of this shallow understanding can be heard in the strings of the album, which are beautiful but don’t work together with the rest of the instrumentation losing any possible emotional stimulation. Much of the record suffers the same fate, with any qualities of greatness either buried or lost entirely. 

        Unfortunately, most of this album is just an unmemorable blur to me. Even after several front-to-back listens, much of the content just feels meaningless to me. Alex Turner and the rest of the band are talented individuals, which makes it all the more disappointing when you can see the skill buried under what is ultimately an unremarkable record. Maybe if the focus was placed on understanding the aesthetics of a style instead of just mimicking it, I would be able to have a stronger connection to the album. However, the band’s ignorance of this style overshadows anything great they could offer.

Favorite Tracks: Body Paint

Least Favorites: Sculptures of Anything Goes

Enjoyment: Low 5

Critically: Low 5

Arbitrary Number: 5.0