Arctic Monkeys [EP]
Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? (2006)

Who would have thought the sound of a new Arctic Monkeys EP would sound so refreshing? If anyone else was becoming slightly bored by the complete over-kill of their debut album, then fear not – this magnificent EP signals a refreshing change in sound for the boys.

Yes, this release is just probably an excuse to release single number four off their album, ‘A View to The Afternoon’, but the four other tracks on this EP are a delight, and it would be fair to say that the material here could have been, and should have been on the album. Such is the prolific-ness of Alex Turners song writing hand, he probably wrote these songs in the short space between the release of the album and this mini album.
‘Cigarette Smoker Fiona’ is a new take on an old Arctic Monkeys song that has been going around for as long as all the other album material…so why wasn’t it on the album? Because its pretty awful, and can be compared to a few of the filler songs on their overrated, ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not’ album. The next two songs, ‘Despair in the Departure Lounge’ and ‘No Buses’ are quite lovely. The sound of both songs can be perhaps compared to ‘Riot Van’ off the album…both have a tender meaning to them. More material like this in future please!
We finish off with the ‘Monkeys back to their biting best, the title track, ‘Who the Fuck are the Arctic Monkeys’ boasts a riff almost as funky as debut single ‘Fake Tales of San Francisco’, and then ends with crashing guitars over the lyric, “bring on the backlash”…what backlash?


+ Reviewed by Arfyn

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