Arctic Monkeys: AM

This album spectacularly recreates the tentative excitement experienced when you set off on a night out knowing that on your travels you'll probably bump into your ex and then go home with his friend. The entire album chronicles an electric night out in your favourite dive bar, complete with come to bed eyes and confessions of heartfelt love. It all begins with ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ immediately followed by ‘R U Mine?’, the first two singles from AM. 

The first single, R U Mine, was released in April 2012 making AM the longest awaited Arctic Monkeys album to date. However, if waiting for what may seem like an eternity for the next album produces a record this good, I can learn to be patient.

In the hype that preceded AM’s release, the biggest story was the anticipation of R&B influences which had fans and critics waiting with bated breath, half expecting a Turner/Helders rap battle. Thankfully, that didn't happen. Instead the album is laced with heavy drum beats you might find programmed into a cheap Yamaha keyboard, in the best possible way of course. 

After the final clash of symbols from ‘R U Mine’, we're gently hurled into ‘One For The Road’ and AM really kicks off. The entire album is rife with the tongue-in-cheek sexiness that Turner excels at and this track is no exception. AM is dark and exciting. Most recent single ‘Why'd Only Call Me When You're High’ is dark and intimidating, yet wickedly thrilling. Stand-out track ‘Arabella’ is best described with a visual: think drug fuelled fantasies illustrated in the South Park episode ‘Major Boobage’. 

The album closes with a personal favourite 'I Wanna Be Yours'. This track is wholehearted proof that at this stage in their evolution Arctic Monkeys can make anything sound good, and Turner can make anything sound sexy; see lyric 'I wanna be your vacuum cleaner' and feel your knees wibble. 

In a recent interview Radio One interview, Turner himself hit the nail on the head saying ‘Summat about it feels like this record is exactly where we should be right now.’ You said it, sugar.