Arctic Monkeys "Humbug" - generally disapointing?

BikoBiko Posts: 2,419
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Its not a bad album but really nowhere near as good as their previous efforts. "Potion Approching" sounds like it should be a b-side from their first album "Fire And Thud" and "The Jeweller's Hands" are just plain boring and "Pretty Visitors" is a mess, its like they've thrown random chords together in the hope it would work..

with that said there are moments of creativity. I really liked "My Proppellor" and "Dance Little Liar" both very hypnotic and you can really hear Josh Homme's influence. "Crying Lightning" has also grown on me these past couple months.

The rest of the tracks are ok but fail to capture that admirable structure and musicianship that set them apart from other "indie" bands.

This album is kind of like a stop gap for the band. Sounds like they're reassessing their musical ambitions but theres definitley potential for some great things to come

7/10
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Comments

  • PitmanPitman Posts: 28,495
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    there's a few good tracks but as you say nothing to blow you away, it's still better than every other brit indie band today but that says more about the competition I think.
  • chuck_wipplchuck_wippl Posts: 5,099
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    Don't like it at all, which is such a shame as I've been looking forward to it for absolutely ages.

    When they said that it'd be a heavier and louder Arctic Monkeys sound, I assumed they meant similar to songs like A View From The Afternoon, From The Ritz To The Rubble and A Certain Romance. That kind of "heavy".

    But it's all very bleeeuuugggh and depressing and I MUCH prefer The Last Shadow Puppets album to it.

    Really disappointed :(
  • kutoxkutox Posts: 16,368
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    i'm disappointed overall. there are some good moments, and we knew it would be different and 'darker' to the first 2 albums, but it's not an easy listen and it's hard to get into. maybe it just takes a lot of plays - i didn't like Crying Lightning when we first heard it but i love it now - but i doubt that's the case with the rest. their other stuff was instantly appealing and exciting which is how many of us got into them in the first place.

    that's not to say it's terrible, but we (rightly) expect brilliance from these guys considering how good their previous stuff has been.

    maybe they should take a few years break before the next album and come back with something fresh and exciting.
  • oscardelahoyaoscardelahoya Posts: 4,902
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    I've only listened to it once as I got it yesterday. Seemed a bit crap on first listen, pretty gutted actually. I chose that over Kasabian and I think I should have got Kasabian instead.
  • TommyGavin76TommyGavin76 Posts: 17,066
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    I've only listened to it once as I got it yesterday. Seemed a bit crap on first listen, pretty gutted actually. I chose that over Kasabian and I think I should have got Kasabian instead.

    As much as I love the Arctic Monkeys, the Kasabian album is a lot better in my opinion.
  • LukeyboyLukeyboy Posts: 1,521
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    I'm spinning it now, after picking up the 12" on Monday. It's good, but this is the fourth or fifth time I've listened to it, it's not as stand-out as WPSIA, or FWN, but it's much more mature and it's nice to hear Alex singing about things other than the 'we kissed, and sat on a park bench and got pissed' style of the last two albums.

    8/10 from me.

    Oh, and if anybody else has the LP, is there an awful lot of crackling on the last track of side two? I've noticed this, dunno if it's just my copy, or my player's slowly dying or what. I need a new stylus, me thinks.
  • BikoBiko Posts: 2,419
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    The Kasabian album is the Best British album I've heard this year.
  • Tel69Tel69 Posts: 26,869
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    As much as I love the Arctic Monkeys, the Kasabian album is a lot better in my opinion.

    Agreed. I've listened to Humbug 3 times and so far I'm not really getting it. Crying Lightning is the stand out track but I'm hoping to give it a few more listens before I give up on it. It's a shame there's none of the energy they display on the 1st 2 as it's all erm sensible.
  • oscardelahoyaoscardelahoya Posts: 4,902
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    Well I think I'll have to get Kasabian as well in that case. That must be the reason it was a pound more :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 215
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    I love Cornerstone and Pretty Visitors. The rest is average.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,745
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    It's doing really well all over the world.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,452
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    Well, I never really liked any of the Arctic Monkeys earlier stuff.. But I'm loving Humbug. You can totally hear Josh Homme's influence, nice 'n' murky..
  • Brava 210Brava 210 Posts: 447
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    Cant really Excercise to this Album :cry:
  • iamhumaniamhuman Posts: 2,197
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    Brava 210 wrote: »
    Cant really Excercise to this Album :cry:

    Exercise? Aren't you meant to be head bopping and gettin emotional to this music lol.
  • Brava 210Brava 210 Posts: 447
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    That's what I thought.....:confused:
  • chuck_wipplchuck_wippl Posts: 5,099
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    Brava 210 wrote: »
    Cant really Excercise to this Album :cry:

    I know what you mean :)

    Arctics are always on my iPod 'Work-out' list.

    They especially help on the rowing machine when I have a "GGRRR!! :mad: FEEL THE BURRRRN :mad:" look on my face :o
  • BikoBiko Posts: 2,419
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    superyeah wrote: »
    It's doing really well all over the world.

    I presume you mean sales wise... I've always wondered why this is relevant. Of course its going to sell well, Its an Arctic Monkeys album. Fans will download it regardless, so of course its going to chart high.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,304
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    Secret door is my favorite of the record
  • kutoxkutox Posts: 16,368
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    Biko wrote: »
    I presume you mean sales wise... I've always wondered why this is relevant. Of course its going to sell well, Its an Arctic Monkeys album. Fans will download it regardless, so of course its going to chart high.

    but it does show how well they have done to get themselves in that position where so many people will buy the album just because it's them, although that's also the case with most other artists who have done well. but i can't see this album selling as much or getting as good a reception overall as the first 2. if so then hopefully they will take that on board for the future. that's the only other thing that's relevant but it's all just opinions, fans will buy it and make up their own minds about it, i couldn't care less what the magazines and critics say.
  • PitmanPitman Posts: 28,495
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    Biko wrote: »
    The Kasabian album is the Best British album I've heard this year.

    if that is true it's not saying a lot for Britsh music :cool:
  • TommyGavin76TommyGavin76 Posts: 17,066
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    Pitman wrote: »
    if that is true it's not saying a lot for Britsh music :cool:

    Have you listened to it?
  • BikoBiko Posts: 2,419
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    kutox wrote: »
    i can't see this album selling as much or getting as good a reception overall as the first 2. if so then hopefully they will take that on board for the future. that's the only other thing that's relevant

    I don't think the Arctic Monkeys care about sales as much as other artists do. To say "hopefully they'll take that on board for the future" would probably offend them. They're a band that make the music they want to make and if it ends up alienating fans then that's their choice. Thats one of the problems with music today is that too many bands play it safe because the don't want to risk losing sales. This is why although I'm not a fan of this album I admire them for doing something new.

    Listen to a track of theirs called "Who The **** are Arctic Monkeys" and it will totally contradict what you've just said.
  • GoodMikeyGoodMikey Posts: 2,883
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    Have you listened to it?

    I have Humbug shits on West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum and then makes it eat the shit. But that's just IMO.

    Humbug shows an evolution of their music to a more deeper level. I loved WPSIATIWIN and FWN but they can't just make the same style music. Anyway I'm not going to bother writing a review I agree with 95% of this one already

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/aug/20/arctic-monkeys-humbug-cd-review
  • kutoxkutox Posts: 16,368
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    Biko wrote: »
    I don't think the Arctic Monkeys care about sales as much as other artists do. To say "hopefully they'll take that on board for the future" would probably offend them. They're a band that make the music they want to make and if it ends up alienating fans then that's their choice. Thats one of the problems with music today is that too many bands play it safe because the don't want to risk losing sales. This is why although I'm not a fan of this album I admire them for doing something new.

    Listen to a track of theirs called "Who The **** are Arctic Monkeys" and it will totally contradict what you've just said.

    fine! don't go all serious on me! i never said i hate the fact they've done something different, if not then they could be accused of being boring, same with everyone else. i agree that it's good they've done something different, even if many of us don't think it's as good as it could of been, as i said earlier. they seem like the most laid back band around so of course they will do whatever they want, as they should, not just to please fans. i'm just saying as a fan i would personally hope the next album would be more exciting and easy to get into. but why should it matter what i say? or anyone else for that matter. don't take everything people say so seriously.
  • BikoBiko Posts: 2,419
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    kutox wrote: »
    fine! don't go all serious on me! i never said i hate the fact they've done something different, if not then they could be accused of being boring, same with everyone else. i agree that it's good they've done something different, even if many of us don't think it's as good as it could of been, as i said earlier. they seem like the most laid back band around so of course they will do whatever they want, as they should, not just to please fans. i'm just saying as a fan i would personally hope the next album would be more exciting and easy to get into. but why should it matter what i say? or anyone else for that matter. don't take everything people say so seriously.

    I agree with everything you said, just the part where you said hopefully they'll take it on board if this album doesn't sell well, which suggests that they should go back in the studio and make WPSIA part 2 just to appease fans. Why should they
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