Arctic Monkeys, The Car | Album Review 💿

Grammy-nominated alternative collective Arctic Monkeys keep it weird yet intriguing on their seventh studio album, The Car.

After releasing so many albums with a certain sound, sometimes, artists and bands change course.  That was the case with 🎙 Arctic Monkeys in 2018.  💿 Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino sounded like nothing released by 🎙 Alex Turner and company.  Some loved it, others were more skeptical, but it did earn the collective a 🏆 Grammy nomination (I was pulling for them, to be honest).  Fast forward four years to 2022, and the band is back with its seventh studio album, 💿 The Car, and clearly, this new sound and vibe are here to stay.  The Monkeys of old –  the 💿 AM days – are done, while The Car commits further into ambitious records that only Turner could pen.  Some will cry foul but personally, I find the album to be refreshing and incredibly intriguing.

“There’d Better Be a Mirrorball”

“Yesterday’s still leaking through the roof / That’s nothing new…”! The intriguing single, 🤩 🎵 “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” commences The Car as only Arctic Monkeys could. There are some creative ideas, nice musical touches, and undisputed beauty here, even if it takes a couple of listens to fully process. The near-fourth-and-a-half-minute-long “There’d better Be A Mirrorball” was written by Turner, as to be expected.  It was produced by 🎛 James Ford. The sounds include a jazzy drum groove, warm strings, and warm piano. It’s ear-catching from the onset – left of center and unique, though ultimately, radiant. Eventually, “There’d better Be A Mirrorball” settles into a ballad with a consistent groove, and some rhythmic hits straight out of the jazz/soul book (prior to the minute-mark). Turner’s vocals are as nuanced as ever. He sings the poetic lyrics, which include references to the car, with ample expression, hypnotizing.  Also, with his utterly sublime tone, he mentions that mirrorball:

“So, if you wanna walk me to the car

You oughta know I’ll have a heavy heart

So, can we please be absolutely sure

That there’s a mirrorball.”

All told, “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” is refreshing.

🤩 🎵 “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am” keeps The Car ‘running,’ by all means. The second track is incredibly groovy.  It features some sick, distorted guitar lines, and a robust bass line.  The lyrics are intriguing (“Formation displays of affection fly over (Eyes roll back) / And I can see both islands now / From my vantage point”), which is always the expectation from Alex Turner.  Musically, there are some unique harmonic ideas (idiomatic of jazz), outside of the core progression.  One of the biggest selling points is the wall of sound constructed with the lush, dramatic strings, and when backing vocals enter the mix.  The backing vocals sound as if they could’ve originated from a classic soul record, showcasing Arctic Monkey’s musical eclecticism.

🎵 “Sculptures of Anything Goes” maintains the allure that is The Car.  There is interesting use of synths. I definitely enjoy the minimalist vibe of the production work.  The sound could be described as enigmatic; “Sculptures of Anything Goes” sounds very different from anything that Arctic Monkeys have released up until this point.  This experimental vibe falls in line with The Car overall as well as with Arctic Monkeys beginning with their 💿 Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino era. There’s evolution in the production as the record progresses – more sounds and more colorful ideas. Honestly, after listening, there’s nothing traditional about this record, which is part of its charm. Turner sounds compelling from start to finish, particularly when he ascends, dipping into that gorgeous falsetto.

“Jet Skis On The Moat” 

“Jet skis on the moat / They shot it all in CinemaScope / As though, it’s the last time you’re gonna ride.” Oka, Alex! 🤩 🎵 “Jet Skis On The Moat” has a soulful, R&B vibe. It hearkens back to classic soul or even the neo-soul era – think Al Green or D’Angelo, though performed by an alternative band.  Alex Turner delivers smooth vocals. Again, his tone is marvelous, particularly when the falsetto is in play.  Of course, when the name of the record is “Jet Skis On The Moat,” there is no possible way that the lyrics fail to intrigue (“Your saw-toothed lover boy was quick off the mark / That’s long enough in the sunshine for one night”). Only Turner and Arctic Monkeys could concoct this! Also, shout out the piano, which sounds absolutely brilliant here.

“So predictable, I know what you’re thinking.” Prior to The Car, Turner and company revealed the second piece of the puzzle, 🤩 🎵 “Body Paint”. The music is gorgeous, with warmer keys (and synths), strings, and eventually, a more raucous electric guitar. Arctic Moneys never fail in the instrumental department.  Furthermore, Alex serves up sublime vocals and colorful lyrics.  Honestly, not just anybody could commence a record with, “For a master of deception and subterfuge / You’ve made yourself quite the bed to lie in.” It doesn’t stop there either.  In the second verse, “My teeth are beating, and my knees are weak / It’s as if there’s something up with the wiring.” Yep, that’s some serious pain, particularly that toothache! Uniquely, the chorus is one line – “So predictable, I know what you’re thinking” – while there’s also a bridge, instrumental break, and a refrain.  Turner first references ‘body paint’ in the first verse but doesn’t explicitly mention it until the bridge and again during the refrain.   So, what’s he getting at thematically? It seems to be a mix of covering up and masking feelings, deception, and cheating – ooh-la-la! All told, “Body Paint” is a cleverly written, well-performed, and well-produced record – a surefire highlight.

“The Car” 

“Your grandfather’s guitar / Thinkin’ about how funny I must look,” Turner sings on 🤩 🎵 “The Car,” the title track. He adds in the first verse, “Tryin’ to adjust to what’s been there all along.” Sigh, captivating, as always.  “The Car” thrives off gorgeous piano, rhythmic guitar lines, and a robust bass line. Set in a minor key, Turner continues to compel with his mysterious, radiant vocals. Like many of the songs on The Car, “The Car” features some unexpected harmonic twists and turns, odd resolutions.  As the record begins to percolate, lush strings enter the mix. An assertive, full-on rock guitar solo is totally unexpected but provides welcome contrast.

Like “The Car,” 🤩 🎵 “Big Ideas” is also in a minor key – actually the same key for that matter! “Big Ideas” features a sweet chorus, which once more, is comprised of warm, lush strings.

“I had big ideas, the band were so excited

The kind you’d rather not share over the phone

But now, the orchestra’s got us all surrounded

And I cannot for the life of me remember how they go.”

The orchestration is superbly executed.  Likewise, the chorus marks one of the more accessible choruses of the album. One timbre that stands out is the combination of dirty guitars and the smoother strings. That’s one big musical idea that excels. 🎵 “Hello You,” which runs past the four-minute mark, continues to impress regarding instrumentation and musical cues.  Again, can’t praise the strings enough, as well as inclusion of clavinet as part of the script. Also, I must acknowledge the bounciness of this track.  Another pro are the breezy lead vocals by Turner, who sounds as if he’s riding on a cloud, singing with incredible ease. The chorus, much like “Big Ideas,” is easily accessible.  That said, like most of The Car, “Hello You” doesn’t end up being predictable, with some musical quirks thrown in towards the end.

“Mr. Schwartz” 

🎵 “Mr. Schwartz,” the three-and-a-half-minute penultimate number, invites itself to misinterpretation.  With alternative tracks, decoding the lyrics can be an adventure.  Alex Turner debunks the idea that “Mr. Schwartz” references poet Del Schwartz.  Instead, Schwartz is a fictional character – a movie director for that matter: “Mr. Schwartz is stayin’ strong for the crew / Wardrobe’s lint-rollin’ your velveteen suit.” Later, in the second verse, Turner sings, “Gradually, it’s coming into view / It’s like your little directorial debut.” “Mr. Schwartz” begins relatively minimally, before picking up steam instrumentally (rhythmic guitar lines, with piano entering the mix). In addition to the excerpted lyrics, there are plenty more intriguing lyrics, as is always the case with Arctic Monkeys songs. Honestly, “Mr. Schwartz” is intriguing from the opening lines, “Put your heavy metal to the test / There might be half a love song in it all.”

The Car concludes with a tenth and final record, which makes 🎵 “Perfect Sense”… or does it? “Richard of York, The Executive Branch / Having some fun with the warm-up act.” Um, what? I guess it doesn’t have to make sense to the listener, as long as it makes sense to Alex Turner and company, right? “Sometimes, I wrap my head around it all / And it makes perfect sense,” Turner sings in the second verse, asserting in the third, “When my invincible streak turns onto the final straight.” Fair enough!

Final Thoughts 💭

Arctic Monkeys shine once again on 💿 The Car.  Clearly, given the oddness of this album, it seems that Alex Turner is enjoying being more experimental and lounge-y. Likely, this album, much like 💿 Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino won’t be for everyone, but personally, I find it to be fascinating and, as stated many times, intriguing.  There’s lots to like about The Car musically (those strings) and lyrically (Turner’s ambitious pen).  

🤩 Gems 💎: “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball,” “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am,” “Jet Skis On The Moat,” “Body Paint,” “The Car” & “Big Ideas”

🎙 Arctic Monkeys • 💿 The Car • 🏷 Domino • 🗓 10.21.22

[📷: Domino]