Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

There's something enjoyable and rocking about this, the first release, from the Artic Monkeys. It moves, it kicks some butt, forgets to take names, and at points, is reminiscent of some earlier British punk.

All that being said, this is not the second coming of the Beatles's "Revolver" as many reviewers have claimed. Everyone needs to do artist comparisons to get the point across. Well, I'm going to try not to do that.

Like so much I listen to (and at points drawing from punk-ish sounds), this is a very guitar-driven album. There's no synthetic sounds here (well, none I can detect), which is always nice to hear in the over-processed, uber-electronic world. The use of "stereo" makes me smile as it brings me back to older albums. The chaps bring out a solid selection of 13 tunes that Rock, Roll, Pump, and Kick Ass musically.

Highlights on the disc include I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor, Dancing Shoes, and Perhaps Vampires is a Bit Strong....

In the end: Don't believe the hype, but, at the same time, this disc is good. There's not much new or inventive you can do, so how well you do it is the key. And the Arctic Monkeys do this album excellently.

On the Web: Download a *great* demo, Cigarette Smoke off of BadmintonStamps.

Technorati Tagged: Arctic Monkeys | Rock