The music sounds like one of those splatter paintings you sometimes see in a museum. The artist moves fast and slings colors all over the canvas, and despite the appearance of complete chaos everything gets covered. This type of art is often best if you don't stop to stare, and the same can be said for the music on FWN. The playing sounds great, but the individual parts aren't anything special in and of themselves.. The bass is boomy; the guitars churn, the drums are propulsive although often mixed low.
My only real knock against Whatever is that it was fun listening, but not memorable. Listening wasn't a chore but other than "View From the Afternoon" and "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor," I couldn't remember a thing about what I'd just listened to. Favourite Worst Nightmare is a decided improvement in that regard. This album is fun, fast-paced, hooky, and loud. It lacks that single, or single song, that worms its way into your head for hours and days after you hear it, but has enough charisma when taken as a whole to bring you back for repeated listens.
The Arctic Monkeys, as a band, are not strong on melody instead relying on energy, intensity, and fun. That I can like this record, and I do, is a reminder that there is no single path to greatness or a proven formula for making good music. Favourite Worst Nightmare does what any second album should do: retains what was great about the debut and improves upon it.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
nice review. i'm totally diggin' the record myself. now that you're hooked, it wouldn't surprise me if you find something new to latch onto on that first record.
2 - Josh
I did go back and listen to that first one and still feel the same way. It's fun as a whole, not overly memorable taken individually. I like this new record better than the debut.
3 - Phillip Winn
When performing in public, you'd often hear "don't believe the hype" before they actually started a song. I suspect your enjoyment of the first album was ruined by the hype, perhaps forever. It really is good, but I'm enjoying album #2 as well. And some of the EP releases that haven't made it onto an album for that matter. iTunes has them all.
4 - Josh
You know, the hype probably didn't help but I don't dislike the first album. I can listen to it and get enjoyment from it even if I don't think it's a classic.
I do like this new album, and I have the Who the F*ck Are The Arctic Monkeys EP, which is pretty good.
5 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! This article has been forwarded to the Advance.net websites and Boston.com.