Humbug

アークティック・モンキーズ、サード・アルバム見参!本作はモハーベ砂漠やLAで録音されたというジョシュ・オム(クイーンズ・オブ・ザ・ストーン・エイジ)によるプロデュース曲や、前作に続き相性抜群のジェイムス・フォード(シミアン・モバイル・ディスコ)のプロデュースにより、ブルックリンで録音されたという楽曲を収録。セカンド・アルバムで開花したバンドのヘヴィーな一面は、よりハードかつディープに変化を遂げ、そしてひとクセあるメロディーラインはさらに進化。成長と変貌を遂げた史上最高のインディー・バンドが再びロック史を塗り替える!

Billboard - "The Monkeys still favor angular riffs and clenched rhythms, constructing tightly framed vignettes not widescreen epics, but they're working with a darker palette and creating vaguely abstract compositions..." Pitchfork - "It's their loosest record yet by far....The guitars in particular have a snapping, reverberant desert/surf tone that fuels the band's descent into night." Record Collector - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Turner can floor with his wordplay....Plus the chops, particularly of drummer Matt Helders, who does well not to buckle under Homme's glare, are, frankly, amazing throughout." Entertainment Weekly - "[They] continue to churn out spiky Britpop anthems, though they take a (relative) turn for the deeper and darker here." -- Grade: B+ Paste - "Arctic Monkeys collect their darkest impulses and put them on stark display; it's another massive step forward in a career that seems marked for greatness." Uncut - 4 stars out of 5 -- "On 'The Jeweller's Hand,' Turner channels the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe....'Dance Little Liar' is more gothic still, Arctic Monkeys revealing a previously hidden talent for cinematics." Clash - "Maturity has spread throughout the bnad....Rhythms and melodies collide on every song, with various exotic instrumentation decorating the quartet's foundation sound." Alternative Press - "[With] thoughtful, introspective songs like the opener 'My Propeller' and 'Secret Door,' a tune that displays an almost Cure-like poignancy." Clash - "HUMBUG is a triumph of courage and impudence, and one giant step forward for this country's most impressive youngsters" Billboard - "The Monkeys still favor angular riffs and clenched rhythms, constructing tightly framed vignettes not widescreen epics, but they're working with a darker palette and creating vaguely abstract compositions..." Pitchfork (Website) - "It's their loosest record yet by far....The guitars in particular have a snapping, reverberant desert/surf tone that fuels the band's descent into night." Daily Telegraph - "HUMBUG may not be driven by the singalong certainties which have turned Arctic Monkeys into chart-toppers thus far, but it's a brilliant record, built to last"

One of the most important British bands of recent years, the Arctic Monkeys follow up their first two phenomenally successful albums with Humbug, their first record in over two years. Influenced by Cream and Jimi Hendrix, Humbug features some of frontman Alex Turner's most innovative and profound lyrics yet, whilst also maintaining the Arctics' core sound. Humbug was produced in part by Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme.|

通算3枚目となるこの新作で彼らは現行ロック・シーンにおけるもっともリアルな存在であり、進化することを恐れないモンスター・バンドであることを証明した。新たにジョシュ・オムをプロデューサーに迎え、サウンドはよりヘヴィーに、よりUSオルタナ嗜好へとシフト。もっとも、かねてからメタル〜ヘヴィー・ロック好きを公言していただけに、バンドはナチュラルに新境地を切り拓いたと受け取るべきだろう。傑作!　
bounce (C)白神篤史