The Arctic Monkeys
“FAVOURITE WORST NIGHTMARE”
Monkeys see, monkeys do a song about it. That’s the method that’s made the Arctic Monkeys so impressive — a documentarian-like sense of observation that gives their stories the ring of truth. The English band’s sophomore effort, “Favourite Worst Nightmare,” shows that this focus can be a limitation. There’s little of the sense of wonder and possibility found on the band’s debut, “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.” “Nightmare” suggests that success has enclosed them in a world populated by desperate and predatory characters. The band’s response is to become guarded, which comes out in music that closes in on itself. It’s taut and dynamic, but the key is Alex Turner’s tenacious way of latching on to a lyric. Matching the guitars snarl for snarl, he remains a compelling storyteller, and if “Nightmare” misses some of the poetry and exhilaration of “Whatever,” it has something more important: authenticity and integrity.
RATING: 3 1/2 SOUND LEVELS
