whatever people say i am, that's what i'm not
arctic monkeys
(domino)
Brit buzz band the Arctic Monkeys could be the "Little Brother" fellow redcoats Art Brut sang about on Bang-Bang Rock-and-Roll. Both bands share a keen insider/outsider observational style, but while the Arctic Monkeys have less wry wisdom than their less successful older siblings, they've got more boozy energy. In their dedicated dissection of twentysomething urban nightlife, the Monkeys are like Is This It-era Strokes with fewer hooks and less sex appeal but more brains, humor, and self-awareness. They're very smart about how shallow they -- and their world -- are. ("There's only music so that there's new ringtones.") This band could be your life, I suppose. It sure isn't mine, but it makes for some pretty nifty beat-wise voyeurism. ("I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor," "Fake Tales of San Francisco," "A Certain Romance")
-- Chris Herrington
Grade: A-
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