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POP Arctic Monkeys: The Car Domino JJJJ
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Leathers to the back of the wardrobe, and smoking jacket on as Arctic Monkeys continue to float into esoteric orchestral territory on their latest album, with teasing frontman Alex Turner supplying impressionistic lyrics to pore over or just go with, gloriously embellished with cinematic string arrangements by a cinematic string arranger. Bridget Samuels' previous credits include Midsommar and Under the
Skin, so atmosphere is not wanting.
The classy sadness of opening track and first single, There'd Better Be A Mirrorball, signals that we are in the sumptuous sphere of previous album Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, with Turner "giving it the old romantic fool" over gently eddying strings. Jetskis on the Moat plays into the image of the remote rock star - we're a long way from the young Monkeys of Riot Van as Turner employs his best John Lennon croon.
I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am could be a commentary on Turner's songwriting. He originally intended to return to a heavier indie guitar sound for this album, but wasn't producing the goods. Instead, he and the band sound entirely suited to a sonic combo of heady string swell and wah-wah funk guitar, reminiscent of Sixties symphonic pop composer David Axelrod, and pull off other stylistic flourishes in the foreboding...