Suck It And See—what an apt record title for those who doubted that the boys have lost their touch after the tough-to-swallow (but beautiful-as-it-ages) Humbug.

This is probably the easiest, most solid Arctic Monkeys record that I’ve listened to. It’s different, that’s for sure. It’s far from their roots but still very much familiar. There’s still Alex Turner’s cleverly-penned lyrics, there’s the consistent drumming of the agile beast himself. However, it’s different in a way that the guitars are more swooping and swooning rather than jangly; the bass is thundering and prominent and it just pulses, pulses, pulses…

When Brick By Brick came out, the biggest letdown was its lack of lyrics. Fans are used to Alex’s storytelling and Brick By Brick fell short that it made most people nervous about this record. Truthfully, the words in Suck It And See were robbed of the descriptiveness, the accessibility & relatability, and the stark honesty that made the earlier albums, most especially Whatever, an easy favorite. Gone are the rowdy days in Sheffield, or the arrogant pricks from Japan and even the metaphors about propellers.

However, that doesn’t mean that the words in this record lacked luster. In fact, Suck It And See is a slew of clever phrases injected with colloquialisms, witty one-liners and sometimes, nonsense ramblings. The lyrics are sparse, yes, but tied with the music, it calls for a sing-along. There are more rhymes and there’s an obvious sense of humor. Admit it: you can’t shake off the words of The Chair - “Do the macarena in the devil’s lair”? “Go into business with a grizzly bear?” Yep. Only Alex Turner can weave words together like that and call it poetry.

Speaking of poetry, Alex hasn’t lost it. His songwriting has just evolved. It has blind spots now. The words are more mysterious, devoid of his usual panache for sharing every detail (hear: Whatever). It’s like fill-in-the-blanks or a game of guess-what-Alex-Turner-is-trying-to-say. It makes you curious, it pierces you (hear: Love Is A Laserquest / Suck It And See).

Then, there’s their sound. It has changed. We are in a different era—different characters, different stories, different places. Welcome to California. Sunny California, that is. Away from the desert. We are basking in the golden glow of summer. And it is good.

It’s obvious that this band will never be boxed musically. They will always be the band who takes risks, experiments… and with Suck It And See, they are on another level. It’s rock ‘n’ roll. And there’s nothing wrong with rock ‘n’ roll. The first half thumps—it slides, it lights you up. Then we move forward, the second half slows you down and makes you sway. This record lacked the usual bang and unrelenting speed (see: FWN). It’s slower, almost softer. It’s smoother, it glides, sometimes it soars. It makes you fucking smile.

This is a record that combines the band’s pop sensibilities and their ability to go heavy and dark without going overboard. Catchy melodies and sudden drops; hysterical lyrics coupled with a semi-threatening sound. It’s a well-balanced record, a cacophony of all their previous efforts. If you’re looking for another Mardy Bum, another Fake Tales, then this is the point where I tell you that it’s not here nor will it ever be. It’s not Whatever, it’s not FWN, it’s not Humbug. It’s all these and more. It’s Suck It And See.

The boys have grown up and this is another part of their journey that we’re taking part of. They’re not going back, they’re moving forward and this is the part where we, as fans, move forward with them. This is a strong record. It has the power to bring back the fans lost and even lure new ones. This is a record that shows why Arctic Monkeys are Arctic Monkeys—they surprise you, they make you dance the macarena like a lunatic and really, they just make you fall in love with them again.//