How To Live Up To The Hype 101, By Arctic Monkeys

To be hyped as the "next big thing" is an all too common occurence in today's rock and roll scene. With no band claiming the type of legacy that Nirvana or Guns N Roses laid claim to, critics have been quick to heap praise on anyone who sounds remotely original, new, or entertaining. Bands from The White Stripes to The Vines, The Strokes to Franz Ferdinand have been called rock's NBT, but none have garnered the sort of crossover mainstream success that welcomed Nirvana or GNR. This isn't quite surprising, as outside of the Stripes, none of those bands have actually lived up to their billing.

The new "next big thing" are the Arctic Monkeys, and, at least in their native England, they're garnering the type of sales and attention that lend credence to that title. NME recently named the band's just-released in the States debut, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, the fifth best British album of all time. Not best British debut, but best British album period. Need I remind you that some British acts include The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and The Who? In addition to this, the band achieved the remarkable accomplishment of selling as many albums in a week as the rest of the albums in the British top 30 combined. They've already scored two number 1 singles in Britain. And oh yeah, they accomplished this via internet word of mouth (not unlike the popularity found by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah). With accomplishments like this under their belt, it's no surprise that the American press was salivating over getting these guys to this side of the pond. It's also the type of hype that could rightly be criticized for being impossible to live up to.

But an amazing thing happened: the band has managed to do just that. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not supplies 13 tracks and 41 minutes of giggly rock and roll pleasure. The band's influences are as wide as their acclaim. At separate points on this record, you can hear The Beatles, Nirvana, The Clash, The Jam, and Franz Ferdinand in their sound, all while sounding breathtakingly original in their own right. The record has a superb energy to it, generated not only by the mix of danceable and buzzsaw guitar riffs laid down by lead guitarist Jamie Cook, but by the youthful vigor in the voice of singer/guitarist Alex Turner.

Given the band's early punk influences, one might expect them to craft anthems debasing authority or political situations. Instead, Turner opts for simple songs about simple subjects: going out, getting drunk, and hanging with friends.

Not surprisingly, the band kicks out the jams quickly, just as the subject matter would lead you to believe. Rarely does a song go past the 2:30 mark, and when they do is when Turner seems to have more to say. He takes a stab at his internet supporters on Perhaps Vampires Is a Bit Strong But... when he sings "and though you pretend to stand by us, I know you're certain we'll fail," and the song itself sounds like a creature of the night. The guitars have an abrasive hew to them, and the conga-ish breakdown in the middle of the track only further enhances the midnight feel.

The biggest standout track is also one of the band's two #1 singles. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor is just under 3 minutes of exhilarating, hook filled rock and roll, pulsing ahead with the intensity of early Clash while not sacrificing the song's poppish appeal.

The other #1 single, When the Sun Goes Down, finds Turner singing about pimps and prostitutes, displaying a knack for creating vivid lyrics about people that would make people like Springsteen proud.

While much of the album is awash in chugging guitar licks and riffs, the band does slow things down here and there. Riot Van is as simple as simple gets, with Turner singing over a basic 3 chord progression in a soft, restrained voice. Even the hip hop infused Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured is comparatively sedate, featuring a positively sick and slick bassline from Andy Nicholson while Turner turns into a confident and surprisingly well flowing MC. On Mardy Bum, the band lets melody take over, writing some very pretty guitar lines that allow Turner to return to the restrained vocals of Riot Van.

With that said, this band is all about chunky guitar hooks, and they are everywhere on this record. Still Take You Home is something akin to what Kasabian would sound like if they didn't completely suck, with a memorable new wave guitar line moving in and out amongst the straight ahead intensity of the song.

Yes, some of this record can sound a bit alike, but it is hardly a case of "write 13 songs by writing 1." It also is not an album that will likely blow you away on first listen, but rather one that grows on you as you get to know its intricacies and acquaint yourself with the ever present British slang.

Comprised of three 19 year olds and one 20 year old, rock fans should not only be excited by the quality of the band's debut, but by the simple fact that those are the ages of the young men who created it.

5 stars.