Arctic Monkeys aren’t about to stay in one lane for the rest of their lives. As much as fans may want them to, the Sheffield group don’t want to be tethered to crafting 00s indie stompers, moving deftly from album to album.
If Matt Helders’ pre-album missives weren’t enough, the initial signs of new album ‘The Car’ – out on October 21st – is that the frozen simians are continuing to seek out fresh territory, moving away from rock bombast towards something more subtle.
New single ‘Body Paint’ is online now, and there’s a sense of Bowie’s mid 70s peak in the arrangement; the movement from spacious string section to sultry vocal, the sudden crashing of distorted power chords, through to the under-stated drumming.
Alex Turner opens by talking of a “master of deception and subterfuge…” but it’s unclear if he’s victim, perpetrator, or simply narrator – at one point he pleads, “don’t let the sun catch you crying…”
Split in two by that guitar solo, ‘Body Paint’ finds Arctic Monkeys moving in a sensual, yet utterly insular, path.
The full video for ‘Body Paint’ is also online; shot by Brook Linder, filming took place in London and Missouri.
Tune in now.
Arctic Monkeys will play a full UK stadium tour next year. Support on all dates comes from Swedish garage punk group The Hives and young whipper-snappers The Mysterines.
Photo Credit: Zackery Michael
