Alex Turner has written an album drenched in satire, sprinkled with glamour and flare. Tranquility Base is an enchanting record that allows Turner to sit in his penthouse suite at the fictional lunar escape he has created, and look down laughing at those criticising his decision to put the Monkeys on a spaceship and send them to another galaxy.
Witty lyrics submerged in sci-fi sounds, Turner has been on a journey since Arctic Monkey’s last album 5 years ago, a voyage of escape from the world of energetic rock’n’roll. He returned to The Last Shadow Puppets and produced a romance record of alluring orchestral rock before coaching Alexandra Saviour and Cameron Avery to lounge rock greatness. Now Turner has taught the Monkeys how to do lounge, lunar luxury style.
It is a record full of surprises. Nobody could have ever imagined this drastic switch but the Monkeys have created something truly special. Merging direct, blunt honesty with comical satire, this may be the best album Turner has written
lyrically speaking. Sonically, it is a risk but a risk that has paid off.
We at The Rodeo have fallen in love with this record however, as we predicted, it has been the most divisive Monkeys’ record yet. We can understand the commotion surrounding the new record. The nostalgia of Arctic Monkeys’ tales of Sheffield’s nightlife has not worn off yet. Whilst it’s incorrect and unfair to claim those who dislike the record are musically uncultured, we do feel many people pre-judged the album, and haven’t given it the time it deserves. The interviews that preceded the record gave us a flavour of what to expect and when it was noted this was to be a piano-focused record many people decided they weren’t going to like it even before its release. After 3 or 4 songs many people decided it was a second rate album. They didn’t wait to get to the grand finale of ‘The Ultracheese’, but simply waited until Turner began wittering about a receptionist called Mark to decided this album was bordering on insanity. It feels as if
some fans wanted to hate it, afraid that by promoting this style of music they may finally lose their young darlings from Sheffield once and for all. Nostalgia really can be a nuisance can’t it.
We reiterate, of course there are people who genuinely dislike the record however, it has only been in the world for a several days. It’s a record that will age over time, like the infinite bottles of red undoubtedly stored in the basement of the Monkeys’ new luxury pad on the moon. It’s a record that you need to digest intensely in order to discover the lyrics Turner has laid before us. It’s full of charisma and swagger. It requires you to dig up the surprises hidden throughout with each listen. Give it some time and submerged yourself in the world of Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino. What’s the worst that can happen?
