Arctic Monkeys – Crying Lightening (PREVIEW)
Arctic Monkeys are back. The band, who first became big in 2005, are set to make their eagerly-anticipated return after spending the year of 2008 doing various side-show projects.
Amidst rumours of the new album coming out this year, confirmed by lead singer Alex Turner last month that it would be during the summer, Arctic Monkeys have been working on the recording of new material. Fans were introduced to new tracks 'Sandtrap' and 'Put me in a terror pocket' in the closing stages of the 2007 tour, but had previously been desperate to hear anything of the bands return to live action.
The groups website, scarcely updated with news throughout the year, announced in November that the band would be playing warm-up shows in Wellington and Auckland in New Zealand, followed by Sydney and Melbourne in Australia. The gigs were designed to provide the band with the opportunity to showcase new material to fans, as well as being suitable preparation for their participation in numerous dates of the Big Day Out Festival.
As the dates of the first gig in Wellington arrived, dated 13th January, interest in the new songs played was at a fever pitch. Arctic Monkeys fan forum, which can be accessed on the groups official website, experienced more users and guests online than ever before. A day of agonising passed until the first clips of the tracks were posted on YouTube by New Zealanders lucky enough to be at the gig. Although initially in poor quality, the videos were enough to excite the fans and gather a large amount of positive feedback.
As more dates passed, the band finally reached the Big Day Out. Numerous interviews had seen them comment that they had always wanted to play this festival, and deemed now the perfect time to do so. After performing at the Sydney leg of the Big Day Out, the band announced that it was to be broadcast on Australian television on Monday 26th January. This immediately reignited the interest in the new material, with many fans calling for their Australian counterparts to record the show and post it on the internet.
They did not disappoint. A new song, entitled 'Crying Lightening' was broadcast, showing the band together and performing after 13 months out. From the four new tracks played on the tour, ‘Dangerous Animals’, ‘Would you like me to build you a go-kart?’ and ‘Pretty Visitors’, it seemed that this track was the one that received the majority of the plaudits.
Upon first listen, the darkness of the track is apparent immediately. It is clear that the Monkeys have once again taken a different direction in their music, expanding on the darkness of second album ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ by making it, if even possible, darker. It seems to match quite well with the new tracks played at the end of 2007; in particularly with ‘Sandtrap’ in terms of darkness, as you can almost imagine them taking their places on the new LP together. The track contains Turners usual witty lyrics, but has a different dimension as he uses his voice to the full potential realised in his side project The Last Shadow Puppets. “I hate that game you have called, Crying Lightening, and how you like to aggravate the Ice Cream man on rainy afternoons” sings Turner with a voice full of dark menace. The song seems to be an intriguing story, though not one that is clear as it leaves the listener trying to determine what it is about. The track is complimented perfectly by Nick O’Malley’s brooding bass, Jamie Cook’s eerie guitar and Matt Helders crashing symbols.
The song is an impressive track that only adds to the excitement and anticipation surrounding the new album. If fellow tracks on the LP are as good as this, Arctic Monkeys are sure to cement their place as one of the great British bands.
Arctic Monkeys – 'Crying Lightening'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwI8XucVfOg
Words: Alex Read
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