As you may or may not know, the Arctic Monkeys are finally releasing another album after their 5 year hiatus following the release of AM. The new album, Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, is said to be a completely new direction and sound for the band, featuring less guitar-heavy songs and a lot more of Alex Turner playing piano.
On top of this, no singles or song previews will be released before the album drops on May 11th, which has left a lot of speculation and anticipation among fans who can't wait to hear the new material. So, with all of this excitement going on surrounding the band, here are 11 older Arctic Monkeys songs that you can jam to while you wait for the release of the new album!
1. Cornerstone
One of my personal favorite Arctic Monkeys songs, "Cornerstone" is a slower tune about the narrator reminiscing about an ex-lover. The whole theme throughout the song is that he keeps seeing women who remind him of his ex, and although they are all close to her in resemblance, they are never close enough. The guitar throughout the song is really pleasing to the ear, and really matches the nostalgic tone of the song. All together, a really pleasant song, and pretty relatable for anyone currently missing an ex.
2. No. 1 Party Anthem
I read from some sources on the Internet (obviously always super reliable) that the new album may have some "No. 1 Party Anthem"-like songs on it, so I figured I would include it in this list. Another slower song, the narrator is nervous to interact with a girl at a party, and is waiting for the perfect song to come on to get the confidence to do it. The song really focuses on Turner's voice with minimalist guitar and drums in the background; it's a great song to listen to to make you feel calm and at ease.
3. Piledriver Waltz
Turner originally wrote "Piledriver Waltz" as part of the soundtrack for the movie Submarine (a movie that I would highly recommend everyone watches), and the track made it onto their 3rd studio album Suck It and See in 2011. The song is about heartbreak, although you might not catch it at first because although the song is slow, it has an oddly upbeat sound to it at the same time. A fun tidbit about this song is that the main verses are in 4/4 time, but the chorus transitions to a 6/8 time signature - similar to an actual waltz.
4. A Certain Romance
"A Certain Romance" starts off with a really solid, strong guitar & drum intro, and then goes into a much lighter sounding guitar and beat for the remainder of the song. The narrator is talking about - even scrutinizing - the people around him throughout the beginning of the song. In the end, however, says that even if his friends act in ways that irritate him, he can't get angry at them the same way he does at strangers. A really catchy song.
5. Mardy Bum
Another one off of their first album, "Mardy Bum" is about having an argument with a significant other who has their mind made up on what they are upset about. The song begins on the slower side until it reaches the point where the narrator starts arguing back with his girlfriend, which is my favorite part of the song.
6. She's Thunderstorms
"She's Thunderstorms" is basically Alex Turner comparing a girl to a thunderstorm. Alex Turner has said that this song arose when he was looking for new ways to compliment a woman; this song was what he came up with. The song has some cute lyrics like "She's been loop-the-looping around my mind", and also has some unusual but accurate metaphors. To be honest, after listening to it, I would have no problem with someone calling me a thunderstorm.
7. Fireside
One of my favorite songs from AM with a much darker feel than the other songs I've listed, Fireside is pretty mellow with a mysterious and enticing sound. The song itself is about trying to move on from someone from your past, definitely shown in the chorus where he talks about being unsure if he should move on from the girl even though he still seems to have feelings from her. A really solid song.
8. Crying Lightning
This is favorite Arctic Monkeys song (I know I've said a lot of these songs are favorites, but this is actually my all-time favorite). "Crying Lightning" tells the story of the narrator remembering the twisted games his ex-girlfriend would play, like "Crying Lightning" (presumably yelling that there was lightning outside to make business harder for the ice cream man - listen to the lyrics and you'll hear it). The beat picks up a lot after the chorus, and Alex Turner sounds really passionate as he sings throughout this song. A great story and great song, definitely recommend listening to it.
9. Do Me A Favour
Another break-up song, "Do Me A Favour" Alex Turner begs his ex to do something harsh to him to make him stop having feelings for her completely instead of toughing out a break-up with someone he still cares deeply for. I especially like the lyrics in this song because they're relatable if you've had a difficult break-up in the past. The chorus is beautiful, and the guitar break towards the end of the song is one of my favorite parts, as well as when Turner sings after that.
10. Snap Out of It
In "Snap Out It," Turner tells an ex-lover to stop thinking about him. He talks about how he might've stayed in the relationship too long, causing her to have a really hard time getting over him. Nonetheless, he still tries to convince her to get over him as time is running out. This song is one of the Arctic Monkeys' catchiest songs in my opinion, and has such a cool sound to it.
11. 505
A classic that I'm sure many people have heard already, "505" is about the demise of one of Turner's relationships. He wishes he could go back to the beginning when everything was alright, but by the choruses, the listener realizes that everything between him and this unnamed person really isn't okay anymore. I think that the bridge is the best part of the song - Turner sings with such strong emotion, which makes you empathize with his sadness as he sings.
