RETRO REVIEW / ARCTIC MONKEYS - WHATEVER PEOPLE SAY I AM, THAT'S WHAT I'M NOT

Trigger warning, I'm probably about to make the majority of you feel incredibly old, as we look back a whole twenty years to celebrate the release of the debut album, of the Arctic Monkeys.

It feels like it was only yesterday that the four piece band from Sheffield, sprang onto the scene with absolutely no notice, and took over the music scene almost overnight. When I say the music scene, I mean that very broadly as these weren't just the next big guitar based indie band to find success in the mid 2000's, but they topped the charts and shot to number one immediately with their initial single release, 'I Bet That You Look Good on the Dance Floor'.

I remember it very clearly from a personal level, hearing their first single on the radio and falling in love immediately, but being rather surprised when it did end up being the most popular and highest selling track of that week. When they did it again with follow up single 'When the Sun Goes Down', I was even more intrigued by the band. They'd continue to drip feed tracks right up until the 23rd of January 2006, when the album was officially released and by this point, it was a surprise to nobody at all that it became the fastest selling debut album in British music history. In the past 20 years it has gone 8x platinum and remains a favourite of many.

So why did Arctic Monkeys appeal to the masses so quickly and so organically? Well that's subjective of course, but from my point of view, I'd say it was their down to earth and relatable nature, turning every day, average and mundane British life in South Yorkshire and not only setting it to a hard hitting and catchy indie rock backdrop, but also smearing over a layer of good old fashioned English humour. Alex Turner has always been known for his brilliant use of wordplay and how he turns a phrase when describing a scene, especially when referring to the streets of Sheffield. But it's that self deprecating and unglamorous description of life as a young Arctic Monkey which not only endeared them to the mass audience initially, but it also appears to be a lack of that in recent years which has left long term fans feeling a little disenchanted by later offerings. Their more recent albums have come away entirely from their original successful formula, and there's very little mention of life as a young lad growing up in Sheffield and dealing with the rather dubious locals, but for me, I actually think that's a very respectable point. Their success has taken them away from these scenes and therefore it isn't as relatable as it would have been in 2004 or 2005. To continue to write about that subject matter would be disingenuous and ridiculous. It's similar to a band like Blink-182 writing about going to parties and failing with girls but whilst being family orientated, millionaires in their 50's. It just wouldn't make sense and evolution is necessary and encouraged.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK7egZaT3hs

The record flows wonderfully, right from the beginning as the opening track begins with frantic drums, and thrashing guitars, opening up the album in a fashion that says "we're here to take over". 'View from the afternoon' also introduces you immediately to that Yorkshire drawl that'd become Turner's trademark. There were no concerns of eloquence or pronunciation, and no effort to croon through the vocals on this album as he sings as he speaks and unapologetically presents himself exactly as he is.

After the single releases had received such high praise and the music industry were instantly in love with the band, they were heavily featured on music television and highly regarded by names like Zane Lowe, who would promote them and feature tracks and live performances, which familiarised us with some of the content like 'Fake tales of San-Francisco', 'Dancing Shoes', 'From the Ritz to the Rubble' and 'Mardy Bum'. So around 50% of the album didn't feel brand new to us when we were able to purchase the album, but it still held enough hidden gems and unknown future classics, to still be exciting and require several immediate plays through in the first day of owning it. Special mention goes to a 'Certain Romance' which often been mentioned to be most people's highlight and one of the greatest ends to an album I've ever heard.

It remains one of the strongest debuts and introductions to a bands work and they would only continue to add to their legacy with follow up albums, right up until this day. Despite a polarising change in their sound and presentation, they're still one of the nations favourite acts and when it comes to modern genius' releasing and writing timeless music, there aren't many names coming through that are revolutionising the music scene, but one of the last was certainly the Arctic Monkeys who led a mid 2000's indie renaissance and carved a path for a long list of brilliant post millennium indie and garage rock bands. I'm certain they're far from being done, but it all started... twenty whole, long, years ago.

Visit Back to Mono records at 26 Guildhall street to pick up a copy of 'Whatever People Think I am, That's What I'm Not'

Article by Stuart Green