‘The Car’ is fresh, unhinged and unchartered territory for Artic Monkeys

Truth be told, it’s been nine years since Arctic Monkeys last made a rock song. 2018’s Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino was just the beginning of this new adventure, as The Car sees the Sheffield-via-Los Angeles quartet take their sound deeper into uncharted waters, spearheaded by Captain Alex Turner at the helm.

Even more so than usual, Turner’s voice is the guiding light of the album – with sweeping strings and the occasional twang of Jamie Cook’s lead tones following along. The Bond-esque ‘I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am’ is the modern Arctic Monkeys at their brilliant best, with plenty of wah pedal alongside Matt Helders’ eloquent falsetto. The depth of ‘Sculptures Of Anything Goes’ had been teased by Turner and Helders as a remnant of the ashes of 2013’s AM, yet Turner’s modern, spacious voice maintains – dragging the song and tension along at his will.

‘There’d Better Be A Mirrorball’ is a perplexing opener, with a pace that leaves you in a daze as opposed to the lush fluidity of ‘Body Paint’ and the aforementioned ‘I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am’ – which was appropriately showcased at their Reading & Leeds headline slots in August. ‘Perfect Sense’ feels like a cinematic soundtrack to a Victorian ballroom scene, with Turner affirming ‘If that’s what it takes to say goodnight / Then that’s what it takes’ over the course of the song. ‘Big Ideas’ appears to be a rare insight into the mythical Turner in his most explicit form – intentional or otherwise – stating the obvious that ‘the orchestra’s got us all surrounded’ and perhaps offending those gatekeeping fans with a notion to ‘the ballad of what could have been.’

‘Hello You’ sticks out as a particular guitar-driven highlight, channelling Cook’s maturity and serving as perhaps the best showcase of a finished article to represent this era, if that’s even something that’s quantifiable. While fans and critics will hone in on Turner – the frontman of our generation – it is the cohesion of the band that shines through in this track; a bond that dates back nearly twenty years and continues to manifest itself in a drastically distinct form. 

The Monkeys once said how 2009’s Humbug, and specifically the catalyst of producer Josh Homme, saved the band amidst a creative crossroads. They found a way to write true to themselves and stick to their gut, which has led them on this eclectic spiral towards a record that is leagues apart from their acclaimed debut. Yet, while Tranquility had an obvious teaser trailer in the form of The Last Shadow Puppets’ 2016 LP, The Car is much more of a clean slate; a trajectory that we’ve never really seen from the band to this date.

They are the band of our time, and the enormity of their 2023 UK tour, which will see them play to nearly a million people, speaks volumes that perhaps elude the vocabulary of even Turner himself. This is Arctic Monkeys: unhinged, masterful and god-like.

The Car is available on all streaming platforms now.