First off, I have to start with a confession. It's something that I will openly admit to, which to me is important and as such needs to be told. As with 99.9999% of Arctic Monkey followers they already have in their possession a copy of the album. This was undeniably download from t'internet and burned on to a CD. For those of the small few who had yet to down load the album, they almost certainly knew when the official released date for the album was. Then last and probably, deservedly least is yours truly who has been, for some time, stuck in a parallel universe of complete and utter confusion and uncertainty, I not only had not downloaded a copy of the album, but most shockingly of all didn't know when the album was going to be released. There I've said it. For someone in my position this is a ghastly, horrid, hideous crime and I simply hang my head in shame. It was only when I picked up a copy of NME (dated 7th Jan), that I discovered that the album was due for released on the 23rd Jan. That's was like two weeks away, and I never knew! B-U-G-G-E-R! The biggest, most anticipated, most eagerly awaited debut album of our generation and I hadn't the foggiest clue as to when it was due for released!
Arctic Monkeys is a band who simply have everything they could ever have dreamt of in the mitts right now. A single that has gone straight to Number One in the charts, an album which is massive and probably going to be the biggest selling debut album of ALL TIME! And they're going to headline the NME Awards Tour this year! Wholly f*ck Batpants this is f*cking mental!!! Talk about opening up your career with a bang, this is like all the biggest and most deadly volcanoes exploding all at the same time! KA-BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM! And if that didn't make you sh*t you pants I don't know what will (with all the excitement that is, although standing in the middle of all of the most powerful and deadly volcanoes going off at once, would make any god-fearing citizen fill his y-fronts with whiff juice)!
This rock n roll phenomenon know as Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not is the most awe inspiring, youth charged, scuzzy punk, sobering and sentimental album that ever was. This is a piece of art, a subliminal work of genius, dripping with the views and values of modern day life seen through the young eyes of bunch of teenage lads focused on seeing through their life on a day to day basis. Some times struggling, some times buzzing, but always knowing what and where the next level is going to be. These album oozes the gutter rock scene which had been left vacant and was crying out for someone to fill its void. A void which was so impeccable filled, so dazzlingly covered that such bands which in times of old, would now be standing in the shadows of the soon to be crowned kings.
From the blood pumping, adrenaline rush might of opener A View From The Afternoon to a the majestic finale of A Certain Romance, herein lies thirteen of the most exciting songs which put collectively together make the most amazing debut album EVER! Street wise and level headed are the Arctic Monkeys as they openly express in A View From The Afternoon /Anticipation has a habit to set you up/For Disappointment/ As with most songs on this album, all exchanges are drenched in what is akin to an almost Libertinesque crunchy punk element. Scraggy, drabbish looking indie kids who are dancing to each live track whilst simultaneously downing a can of ice chilled lager. The icon of a generation which shows the way forward, leaving no passengers standing on the side of the proverbial motorway.
You Probably Couldn't See For The Lights But You Were Staring Straight At Me and Still Take You Home are classic examples of this scummy Lib's punk. A combination of cranking guitar riffs, quick fire drum beat and lyrics which are so real and identifiable that it's so easy to be sucked into the new and exiting whirlwind of this new movement.
Dancing Shoes and Mardy Bum gives the dimensional edge to another side which craves a slightly hip hop/reggae feel to proceeding. You get tongue tied with 'Shoes and turn into a guy who's girl has got the hump in Mardy. These two tracks in particular leaped out at me from the word go. The almost beat hyptontic reach and then the smooth yet delicate charged edge of the pair left me wished that I was an even more raucous indie dude who was going out and getting drunk and dancing uncontrollably every night.
To choose a favorite track from these hear thirteen tracks is a task which is going to take me a long long long time. Each song is just to good for words, they all speak to and reach me in their own unique way. The added bonus is that ...Dancefloor has already reached Number 1, and current reports suggest that When The Sun Goes Down is destined to reap similar accolades, the decision is made even harder.
This albums has it all, no stone alone this perfectly laid path has been left unturned. The whole album is simply breath taking in every sense. Song after song you living a non stop party, which gets better and better, second after second, minute after minute! This album can't fail and it will not fail. Everybody in this land of our will have heard of Arctic Monkeys and a vast proportion will have a copy of the album! With the forthcoming NME awards tour about to commence Arctic Monkeys are going enter a phase which will lead them to the very top, surpassing every single band out there today. Reaching a height which for the us mere mortals will give us a huge nose bleed, but to these naughty Monkeys they will sit proudly atop of the colossal vantage point and look down with a huge satisfying grin on there faces! Well done Arctic Monkeys! Beers all round (they're paying!!!! hehehe)!