AM is such a joy to listen to. It’s not a perfect album, and it has its share of bells, whistles, and slick production values, but at the end of the day it is the most simple rock album I have heard in a while. It’s pounding and rhythmic, with incredible vocals from Alex Turner, plenty of distorted guitar and not a synth in sight. It is a sonic breath of fresh air.
AM opens with second single ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ The solid, thumping kick drum, heavy claps and distorted, simple guitar riff are hypnotic. Turner’s voice is clear and bold with soul-inspired slurred steps. Turner is supported here and throughout the album by falsetto harmonies and echoes that enhance the soul and RnB influences that are undeniable on AM, and for a fairly mid-tempo rock song, you might be surprised at how much ‘Do I Wanna Know’ will make you want to dance.
‘R U Mine?’ lifts the tempo with its frenetic guitar line and lyrics delivered in rapid-fire style. It’s unsurprising that the band chose this as the lead single from AM: ‘R U Mine?’ is extremely catchy with a simple but interesting melody, and Turner’s voice continues to shine.
The middle of the album is marked by a series of slower, less attention-grabbing tracks. Points of interest include the falsetto vocal hook for ‘One for the Road’ – which is almost comically hair metal-esque, and the rock organ on ‘Mad Sounds’, an element I will always appreciate in any song. ‘No. 1 Party Anthem’ is the opposite of what its title suggests; brooding and lagging in a way that is reminiscent of ‘Everything Will Be Alright’ by The Killers.
‘Fireside’ picks up the pace, driven by a monotonous strummed guitar, wordy vocal runs and ‘shoo-up shoo-up’ falsetto backing vocals that AM again owes to RnB influences. This middle section is enjoyable – the songs are solid and the vocals in particular are compelling – but it is ultimately only a bridge to the third single, ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?’
‘Why’d You…’ is the pick of the album, with its punchy hip hop beat and swung vocals (necessary due to the amount of lyrics squeezed into every line). Despite how much is packed into this song, Turner’s languid, laid back vocal delivery allows the band to achieve the messy end-of-a-drunken night feel the song of which the song speaks; I would also suggest you look up the video for this song, which captures and enhances that vibe perfectly.
The highlights of AM are definitely the three singles that have already been released, but that in no way makes the rest of the album filler. It is well crafted and melds some interesting sounds, most notably the hip-hop and RnB elements that underlie the fabric of AM, mostly subtly, or sometimes as a deliberate homage, as with the falsetto vocal loop at the end of ‘Knee Socks’ that could have come directly from a Justin Timberlake album. Ultimately, AM is a fine rock album that is deceptively simple and extremely danceable. I suggest you purchase it immediately.
8/10
Reviewer: Frances Bulley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkTipCxu2oA