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Just under two weeks ago, Arctic Monkeys released their highly anticipated fourth album, Suck It and See. On my part, I've greatly enjoyed it, it draws on elements of the first two albums, bringing in that high tempo, zany and youthful guitar interplay while blending those songs with some mature, relaxed and laid-back sounds, with some truly brilliant, nonchalant lyrics (lyrics don't really grab me half the time but lines like "You're rarer than a can of dandelion and burdock" are excellent), reaffirming Alex Turner's status as one of the best lyricists of the current musical generation.
However, I recently watched a video blog reviewing the album, I have no qualms with what was said, music and opinion on it is obviously subjective and the guy in question provides an interesting viewpoint and enlightens me with decent music I haven't heard of, but one point he made particularly intrigued me and I have now drawn inspiration from for this blog post. The point being that Arctic Monkeys have not really created something new with this, nor have they created a genre-crossing album, but at the same time they haven't harked back to a previous age. Instead, they've, in places, rehashed an Americana sound from before, which you can hear.
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| Arctic Monkeys' debut album, released in 2006, blew everything out the water. |
However, in the first place, is there a genre now that is suffering that can be completely be smashed apart? We had the Nirvana-inspired grunge era, which when it once became lethargic and uninspiring, along came the likes of blur, Oasis and Pulp under the Britpop banner who blew that out the way; albums such as Definitely Maybe, Parklife and The Great Escape being key to such success. Then we've seen the Strokes decimate anything in its path with Is This It before inspiring bands such as The Libertines and of course, the aforementioned Arctic Monkeys with their storming debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.
However, all this music infiltrated the mainstream as well, adding to its success, what do we have have there now in terms of actual conceptual genre music other than the dire electronic synth-pop production filth that is being lapped up by punters who think Scott Mills is best thing since sliced bread, acts such as "Lady Gaga" and "Example" to name but a few. Of course not everything that is in the charts is utter crap to put it bluntly, but there isn't a large representation of a genre outside such electronic pop to blow wide open.
Even then, underneath the mainstream. what is there? There is a large movement of previously guitar-centered bands moving towards the use of synths within their songs but no real massive bands using them, while other up-and-coming bands are harking back to the sounds of the bands of old, the comparison between some of The Vaccines' songs and the sounds of The Ramones is screamingly loud.
The real innovators in music over the last ten to twenty years, Radiohead, going from the critical success of OK Computer, then to the sounds of Kid A have continued to move forward both musically and in terms of marketing their music. However, this year, they released the King of Limbs, surprising their adoring fans and the musical spectrum, but seemingly the guitar has gone, the electronic sounds replacing them. Have Radiohead backed themselves into a corner? Where do they go next?
Maybe it's because I'm not a musician or I haven't really been seriously into music for a long time that perhaps I hold such a viewpoint, perhaps someone who plays an instrument, or is in a band can see where such bands would go next, but in my eyes there aren't very many bands out there or up-and-coming ones who could completely rip what's out there apart now and grab everyone's attention. The other big bands? Foo Fighters continue to roll along doing what they do, as brilliant and adrenaline rush-worthy as it is; Kings of Leon remain a band that will tour for what it's worth and probably won't leave their comfort zone for a few more years, you readers are more than welcome to give suggestions of course.
Everyone obviously knows my love for Arcade Fire but perhaps the stage is set for them, what can they bring to the table after such a brilliant, emotive, genre-crossing and critically acclaimed third album The Suburbs? They've said they're going for something more jazz sounding, we'll wait and see.
I'm certainly not saying music is dead, or it has nowhere to go, I'm just intrigued to see what it does next, what will blow the roof off and leave us all gasping in awe. All of us as music fans of course eagerly await that...
