Rating

Album: AM
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Do I Wanna Know?	More Info...	0:04
2)	R U Mine?	More Info...	0:03
3)	One for the Road	More Info...	0:03
4)	Arabella	More Info...	0:03
5)	I Want It All	More Info...	0:03
6)	No. 1 Party Anthem	More Info...	0:04
7)	Mad Sounds	More Info...	0:03
8)	Fireside	More Info...	0:03
9)	Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High	More Info...	0:02
10)	Snap Out of It	More Info...	0:03
11)	Knee Socks	More Info...	0:04
12)	I Wanna Be Yours	More Info...	0:03

Album: AM
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Do I Wanna Know?	More Info...	0:04
2)	R U Mine?	More Info...	0:03
3)	One for the Road	More Info...	0:03
4)	Arabella	More Info...	0:03
5)	I Want It All	More Info...	0:03
6)	No. 1 Party Anthem	More Info...	0:04
7)	Mad Sounds	More Info...	0:03
8)	Fireside	More Info...	0:03
9)	Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High	More Info...	0:02
10)	Snap Out of It	More Info...	0:03
11)	Knee Socks	More Info...	0:04
12)	I Wanna Be Yours	More Info...	0:03

Performer Notes

If Arctic Monkeys launched a tentative retreat on Suck It & See, their first effort after being seduced by Josh Homme, the group once again forge ahead into bold new territory on AM, their fifth album. Neatly splitting the difference between the band's two personalities -- the devotees of barbed British pop and disciples of curdled heavy rock -- AM consolidates Arctic Monkeys strengths, a tricky task in and of itself, but the band pushes further, incorporating unapologetic glam stomps, fuzzy guitars, and a decidedly strong rhythmic undercurrent. At times, AM pulses to a distinctly danceable rhythm -- "Fireplace" percolates while "Why Do You Only Call Me When You're High" simmers and "Knee Socks" nearly rivals Franz Ferdinand in disco rock -- but this isn't an album made for nights out; it's a soundtrack for nights in. Too much of Alex Turner's mind is preoccupied with love gone wrong, jealousy, and general misanthropy, so even when he's singing about a "No. 1 Party Anthem," he's doing so with a nearly visible sneer. Such an undercurrent of cynicism makes AM an ideal album to listen to under the cover of darkness, but due to the Arctic Monkeys' muscular wallop and musical restlessness, it never feels like the band is wallowing in bleakness. Instead, this is vibrant, moody music that showcases a band growing ever stronger with each risk and dare they take. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.70) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Singer-guitarist Alex Turner does a delicate Velvet Underground lullaby and straight love-soldier crooning..."

Entertainment Weekly (p.70) - "The dance-floor-ready post-punk of their early days has matured into a meatier, more assured sound..." -- Grade: A-

Q (Magazine) (pp.96-97) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Not for the first time, they sound like the best band in Britain."

Mojo (Publisher) (p.84) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "This is exciting, audacious work from a band yet again on the edge of a new future."