Released: 2013
Label: Domino Recording Co
Hold onto your guitar picks team, we’re about to deep-dive into the sonic treasure chest that is the Arctic Monkeys’ album, “AM”. Released in 2013 by the Domino Recording Co, “AM” represents a turning point in the Sheffield quartet’s career, delivering a mature and polished sound that’s equal parts rumbling riffs and soulful crooning. This is the album where frontman Alex Turner’s witty lyricism meets the band’s refined musicianship, blending into a potent cocktail of rock and roll brilliance. It’s like an audacious journey where Velvet Underground crashes into the realm of Hip-hop and Dr. Dre.
And what a journey it is – stomping the gas pedal with the addictive playfulness of ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ and ‘R U Mine?’, to the cruising vibes of ‘No.1 Party Anthem’ and ‘Fireside’, right up to the quietly haunting closeness of ‘I Wanna Be Yours’. It’s an album that bridged the divide between indie rock and mainstream appeal, and in doing so, elevated the Arctic Monkeys to the pantheon of rock music’s greats.
So, let’s strap in and explore this sonic journey from ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ to ‘I Wanna Be Yours’, as we break down the album “AM” by the Arctic Monkeys. Time to get those amps cranked up – let’s get into it.
1 Do I Wanna Know?
Alex Turner, the wordsmith he is, encapsulates the gnawing self-doubt and the pull of old habits succinctly, as he croons, “So have you got the guts? / Been wonderin’ if your heart’s still open”. The chorus of the song is a poignant portrait of self-deception and deferred confessions, even as the nights unfold a space for unsaid feelings to bloom, “That the nights were mainly made for saying things / That you can’t say tomorrow day”. The closing lines, “Do you want me crawlin’ back to you?” underscore the vulnerability at the heart of this heavy-hitting rock number. Each verse is a confrontation with oneself, a nocturnal sojourn into the realms of longing, lovelorn hopes, and quiet resilience.
2 R U Mine?
The phrase “And I go crazy ’cause here isn’t where I wanna be / And satisfaction feels like a distant memory” painfully serves as a metaphor for Turner’s restless and dissatisfied state of mind, trapped in the confusing quagmire of love. Grappling with a yearning that oscillates between the present, and an undefined future, the line “Are you mine? (Are you mine tomorrow? Or just mine tonight?)” crystallizes this inescapable, gut-wrenching uncertainty. Arctic Monkeys have perfectly captured the dichotomy of love’s exhilaration and desolation, painting a vivid tableau of a heart caught in a tempest of emotions.
3 One For The Road
The lyrics are a poignant exploration of hesitancy and longing, against the backdrop of a sourly ending party, delivered with Alex Turner’s unmistaken Sheffield drawl. The words we all felt in our guts, “I’ve been wonderin’ whether later, when you tell everybody to go, will you pour me one for the road?”, beautifully encapsulates a universal yearning – one last chance, a plea to linger. The line “Don’t get that sinking feeling, don’t fall apart,” serves as both an advice and a regret, adding depth to the narrative. It’s evident that “One For The Road” isn’t just a song, it’s a beautifully crafted tale of the rock ‘n’ roll road weaved into a three-minute soundtrack to disaster.
4 Arabella
Frontman Alex Turner masterfully serves up lines such as “She’s got a ’70s head, but she’s a modern lover, it’s an exploration, she’s made of outer space,” encapsulating the enigmatic allure of the titular Arabella. Her kiss is metaphorically painted as “the colour of a constellation fallin’ into place,” canvassing the intoxicating allure of her presence. Turner’s striking phraseology reveals Arabella as a galactic trope of tantalizing mystery. As the song crescendos, he croons, “Just might’ve tapped into your mind and soul, you can’t be sure,” hinting at Arabella’s enchanting influence, making her a captivating focus of desire, who leaves a profound, introspective mark.
5 I Want It All
Its lyrics oscillate between a series of universe-building binaries – blind faith versus heartache, mind games against mistakes – exposing the raw restlessness that underscores human desire. The freshest blow lands with “Said ain’t it just like you to kiss me and then hit the road”, a line that crystallises the bittersweet nature of transience and connection, left adrift in the echoing absence of the shared Coke and miniature whiskey. By invoking The Stones’ cosmic track, “2000 Light Years from Home”, our Monkeys link temporal distance with emotional dislocation, proving that they too are not immune to the intoxicating lure of rock ‘n’ roll’s extravagant melancholia.
6 No. 1 Party Anthem
1 Party Anthem” encapsulates the ambivalence of modern nightlife. With the line “Sunglasses indoors, par for the course/ Lights in the floors and sweat on the walls” we’re signposted to the superficiality of the club scene. All is not what it seems, and the protagonist, fierce in his pursuit of distraction, is aware of this irony. This song isn’t advocating for partying, rather decoding it. The recurring hook “Come on, come on, come on / Number one party anthem” is a melancholic refrain, a call to action that is more resignation than celebration. Somehow, amidst the “cages and poles” and “drunken monologues”, there’s a peculiar poetry found within the introspective accounts of the anonymous reveller. Stake out “Number one party anthem” for your next deep dive into Arctic Monkeys and AM’s exploration of love, lust, and alienation inside smoky clubs.
7 Mad Sounds
It deftly enshrines the idea that music provides an escape, a place of solace; a refuge from life’s ups and downs. Coaxing us to dance amid the chaos, Turner croons, “Mad sounds in your ears, make you get up and dance”, encapsulating the power of the melody concurrently with the lyrics. The song dives into the heart of despair, but then a savior appears in the form of music: “Then, out of nowhere, somebody comes and hits you with an ooh, la-la-la…” Such lines solidify ‘Mad Sounds’ as an anthem for those who find salvation in the wild nights of rock ‘n roll. Whether you’re down and out or high on life, the song’s audacious resonance gives the strength to embrace the rhythm and literally, figuratively, dance through the storm.
8 Fireside
It’s a nostalgic trip, the visceral image of “that hotel suite” in one’s heart becoming a memento of shared intimacy now vacant. The question, “Isn’t it hard to make up your mind / When you’re losin’ / And your fuse is fireside?” lays bare the anguish of indecision in an emotional crisis. And as the past becomes a ghost town – “That place on Memory Lane you like / Still looks the same / But somethin’ about it’s changed”, we’re reminded of the poignant reality that memories can’t be revisited. “Fireside” emerges as a touching ballad of reflection, longing, and acceptance, its lyrical potency striking chords that reverberate long after the track has ended.
9 Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?
With the biting lines, “Now it’s three in the mornin’ and I’m tryin’ to change your mind/Left you multiple missed calls and to my message you reply/Why’d you only call me when you’re high?”, the Arctic Monkeys delve into the murky waters of communication breakdowns and poor decision-making enhanced by the haze of highness, a theme prevalent in the ‘AM’ album. The track underscores the fleeting reality of such encounters, where the protagonist is left questioning the authenticity of their connection. Are they a legitimate object of desire or just a convenient distraction? This brutal self-reflection and hunt for validation paints a vivid picture of longing, pointing towards the larger theme of a distorted sense of self and relationships in a relentlessly hedonistic world.
10 Snap Out Of It
A relentless plea, it sees frontman Alex Turner desperately hoping for an awakening from the object of his affection. The biting lyrics, “I wanna grab both your shoulders and shake, baby / Snap out of it,” underscore his yearning for her to realize the love that’s under her nose. In a distinct venture away from the macho bravado prevalent in some of the band’s earlier work, here resides vulnerability, laid bare for all to see. The imagery of a swinging watch and a singing fat lady bring a theatrical touch, anchoring the track’s sense of urgency. The lament, “Darling, how could you be so blind?” is Turner’s final plea, providing a poignant close to the track.
11 Knee Socks
A standout line, “When the zeros line up on the 24 hour clock, when you know who’s callin’ even though the number is blocked, when you walked around your house wearin’ my sky blue Lacoste, and your knee socks”, embeds a thriller-like suspense within a love tale. It’s like watching a noir film painted in vivid colors of longing and desire, the wearin’ of knee socks representing a deeply personal and intimate connection. In quintessentially Turner fashion, the lyrics also capture a melancholic longing for a time of pure, unadulterated adoration, infusing the tune with a potent dose of wistful retrospection. The song perfectly encapsulates the playfully romantic yet ruefully self-aware essence of the ‘AM’ album.
12 I Wanna Be Yours
It’s dressed up in metaphoric garments, displaying a keen sense of lyrical dexterity. “I wanna be your vacuum cleaner, breathing in your dust” — pure poetry drenched in a practicality that’s both arresting and relatable. The suitor here is asserting himself as an everyday necessity, prepared to endure and persist for the sake of love. And in the admission “Secrets I have held in my heart are harder to hide than I thought,” we’re presented with a vulnerability, a hidden longing that’s relatable to any love-struck individual. The transcendence of the lyrics rests on the vocalist Alex Turner’s ability to communicate the universal, ever-complicated feeling of love in such a simplistically profound way.
