“Suck It And See” is an AGCS Album of the Year

The most exciting musical moment of my year happened in the most horrid of venues that would only be referred to as The Millennium Dome by the band on stage that night. As the frontman stood centre stage and sang the opening lines of the first song solo over clean guitar, we all knew what was coming. Break a mirror, roll the dice; run with scissors through a chip pan firefight; go into business with a grizzly bear; but just don’t sit down cause I’ve moved your chair. Feedback wails, and as Helders smashes the fuck out of the first Crash* the curtain behind the stage falls to reveal a glaring wall of lights as the volume is cranked up a considerable notch and the rest of Arctic Monkeys join in on the opening number of the Suck It And See Tour. This was the most exciting and joyous feeling I got from anything musical in 2011. And that was a long sentence back there, huh?

With it being Arctic Monkeys fourth album I can’t exactly say it was the most exciting album I heard this year, but it was one I enjoyed very much none the less, somehow advancing their sound even further on their fourth album in five years(!).The heavier approach to the live show was a reflection of an album that sees Helders play even harder, but it’s stilll a pop record, with harmonies being used extensively and wonderfully for the first time. And it feels like it has at least half a dozen singles on it, which 2009’s Humbug was lacking from what always felt like a singles band. Stand out tracks for me are Black Treacle and Reckless Serenade, two tracks I’d have assumed would have been flogged as singles by now but perhaps the were too obvious a choice.

It’s a concise album that sounds great and delivers a lot through 13 tracks in just 40 minutes. An excellent record and one of the best I heard this year. Rock n’ Roll (x3).

Watch Alex croon the title track below;

Greg

*this is a type of Cymbal kids