Arctic Monkeys won't leave fans feeling cold

By Jeff Renfro

At this point, the British music press has turned to parody and biting sarcasm, deeming every promising new band the "greatest band ever." But in the case of the Arctic Monkeys, hyperbolic criticism may not apply, since they've given the genuinely positive buzz they've received.

Their debut album, "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not," appeared in the number one spot on the British charts. At the moment, they're wrapping up a sold-out tour of Western Europe and are gearing up to bring their unique sound and business plan to the U.S., with a re-release of the album and a short American tour.

The Arctic Monkeys began like many before their kind: four teenagers with nothing better to do started playing music together. They officially formed a band in 2002, naming themselves after guitarist and background vocalist Jamie Cook's uncle's 1970s group.

Alex Turner, the lead singer and other guitarist, has a knack for writing lyrics wise beyond his very few years. These witty, insightful lyrics lay the foundation of songs that bounce around frenetically, adhering to seemingly unrelated elements.

Turner's clever turns of phrase are well-accompanied by the music itself, helped by Cook as well as Andy Nicholson on bass and Matt Helders on drums.

Arctic Monkeys go through more riffs and time changes in one song than most bands include in a whole album. They steer clear of the verse/chorus/verse/chorus model, moving from melody to melody without looking back.

Somehow, the songs remain coherent and actually work really well. At times, it is hard to tell the difference between a bridge and a song change, but the album flows together nicely.

Arctic Monkeys premiered their album to an already large, loyal fan base, which began in the band's initial years when they toured and gave their music away for free.

Their gamble clearly paid off. This led to a bidding war, won by Domino Records in June 2005. From there, releasing the album was merely a formality. Arctic Monkeys had already won over their homeland, capping off an amazing run by releasing what the British press widely considered the album of the year.

"The View From the Afternoon," the opener, is a perfect test case for an examination of the band. The song opens with a heavy guitar riff, accompanied by a rhythm section that starts heavy before morphing into a jittery dance beat. The riff drops out while a second, more angular riff begins, all before Turner begins singing.

All told, the song features five distinct sections that seem to follow no discernible pattern. Arctic Monkeys moves through each one, leading to a few seconds of complete silence, before the song restarts itself.

"The View From the Afternoon" is followed by the fantastically titled "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor." The sub-three minute song rips through several sections and features fantastic lines like "Stop making the eyes at me, I'll stop making the eyes at you/And what it is that surprises me, is that I don't really want you to."

Arctic Monkeys is even capable of handling slower songs, like "Riot Van." The song trots along at its own pace, contrasting with the high energy of the rest of the album.

But "Riot Van" is not thrown in just for a tempo change; Arctic Monkeys need not rely on their high energy attack, and have the confidence to slow it down.

The musical past is littered with British "can't-miss" bands that failed when attempting to break onto the United States music scene.

For this group, in their favor is an unexpected pop appeal that would be a welcome change on mainstream radio. But it still remains to be seen whether or not they'll achieve any real success here.

Keep an eye out for these guys--or better yet, go see them on March 13 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.

Grade: A-

Contact Jeff Renfro at (408) 551-1918 or jrenfro@scu.edu.