AM – Arctic Monkeys ★★★½

Year	Album	Artist	Stars	Score	Genre
2013	AM	Arctic Monkeys	★★★½	73	Rock	Alternative Rock

Sometimes there are albums that make a big impression when they come out, with a lingering impact and high level of nostalgia it can generate that goes beyond the actual quality of the record itself. 

AM, the Arctic Monkeys’ 2013 record — which brought the band out of a small two-record funk by perfecting the edgy sounds they had been experimenting with but without reverting back to their early sound — is  one of these records.

Maybe it just came out at the perfect time, or maybe it was exactly the album indie rock fans needed in that moment to go all in on a band they were hoping to love again. But despite some of its inconsistencies and flaws, it really has become an iconic record of its time. 

The mid tempo songs are my favorite on AM. Of course “Do I Wanna Know” steals the show right from the jump, and out of nowhere became the band’s biggest hit when it was released. If the stomp-clap drum beat doesn’t get you hooked, the repetitive, bluesy guitar riffs or Alex Turner’s storytelling certainly will and the song builds over four minutes. 

“Fireside,” one of my favorite of the band’s tracks, has that artist, cool guy vibe the band goes for typically on their softer songs, but with a bit more energy and some interesting backing elements like syncopated vocals and synth melody that really makes it memorable. 

“Snap Out of It,” and “Knee Socks” are fun and catchy, with the latter bringing back Josh Homme to add some of the most effective Queens of the Stone Age production elements he brought to Humbug and Suck It and See. 

But everything else on the record I’ve always felt falls a little flat for me, even though they’re good songs and all sonically and lyrically fit together nicely. I’ve always preferred the band’s more punky and alt-rock based tracks compared to when they’re trying to be more classically artistic or to spotlight Alex Turner’s vocals. 

“R U Mine?” and “I Want It All” are the most punk-influenced tracks here, but don’t hit nearly as hard as the band’s raucous rock moments  of the past. 

The album has some redundancies too. “One for the Road,” “Arabella” and “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High” all kind of serve the same purpose (although “Arabella” does get going with a killer guitar part near the end). 

“Mad Sounds” is a charming ballad, but the other ballads are weak. I appreciate the humor and good writing on “No. One Party Anthem,” and get that the point is that it’s sarcastic, but the cleverness and intended irony does make for a kind of boring song overall. 

“I Wanna Be Yours” gives a glimpse of what the band will become in the future, with a focus on lyrics and smooth vibes that feel almost like music for a fancy hotel dining room instead of traditional rock songs. 

That’s a lot of criticism for an album I do genuinely like revisiting and that I appreciate. But, even though there aren’t any truly bad songs on here, I don’t think it’s the band’s most exciting record from start to finish, and I prefer to pick and choose my spots instead of riding the wave to completion.