Besides the input from a new member, what makes ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ such an intriguing listen, is that it’s clearly been made by a band still in transition.
On the evidence of Favourite Worst Nightmare, the Arctic Monkeys are playing at the very top of their and everyone else's game.
What is most startling ... is the amount of emotional depth that Turner's injected into his songs here.
Favourite Worst Nightmare hardly abandons the pleasures of their debut but instead frantically expands upon them. They still have a kinetic nervous energy, but this isn't a quartet that bashes out simply three-chord rock & roll.
‘…Nightmare’ is four young men-of-the-world casting aside their juvenile naiveté and emerging stronger, savvier and, well, more salacious.
If their debut revolutionised the music industry and the crossover between underground, mainstream, rock and pop, Favourite Worst Nightmare goes to show how the bar can be reset again.
This is unmistakeably the Arctics, only stronger, harder, sharper, faster ... An extraordinary and fulfilling sequel to their debut.
Alex Turner and cohorts have grown into their musical plimsoles, confident in their own abilities not just as songwriters, but as musicians to boot.
Favourite Worst Nightmare is tempered by a few duds — “Balaclava” and “If You Were There, Beware,” please stand up — but more than that, it’s kind of joyless.
Turner flourished when giving us a wink while taking the piss out of the neighborhood idiots, all done to a catchy tune. A little more levity would have made this album another classic. Still, Arctic Monkeys continue to evolve, turning out a strong batch of thorny songs on Favourite Worst Nightmare.
Favourite moves forward not one inch from Whatever, which is safe and reliable, but also repetitive.
Released just more than a year after Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, Favourite Worst Nightmare captures a maturing band caught in a relentless hurricane of archetypal British hype.
The Arctic Monkeys were always going to struggle to follow the phenomenal success of Whatever You Say I Am, That's What I'm Not and despite some of the glowing reviews I've read elsewhere, the twelve songs that comprise Favourite Worst Nightmare have failed to convince me that this is anything other than a resounding failure.
FWN is not a bad album by any means, but it does fall flat on many levels for me. It isn’t easy to follow up a debut as powerful as WPSIATWIAN. FWN is an album that badly wants to convince the listener that it is new, never before done experience, but it doesn’t have the creative recourses. It’s very ambitious for sure, but it is also shortsighted and unfocused.
What I’m trying to say is Alex Turner is a boring frontman on this album
BAND BINGE: ARCTIC MONKEYS (PART 3HREE OF 12ELVE)
Writers block is a bitch, huh?
I'll try to describe my 'problem' with writers block i'm facing without sounding too much of a pretentious man crying for help for the third time this week. Boo ho me, I know. And look, I know these emotional reviews (not to write them off completely, if you want to open up in your writing then go for it if your comfortable) can sometimes read as people trying to reach for something to grasp on that's greater ... read more
Man its so hard to not to want to dance to most of this album. I enjoyed their first album quite a bit baring a few of the weaker tracks but this album added the little scoop of edge they needed musically to push it to that next level for me. It starts as hard as a rock, and ends up making you smile by the end of the finale.
Definitely enjoyed this more than AM. Favorite Worst Nightmare I feel is overall more consistent. All of the songs have a very distinct sound, which sounds great the entire way through. I really enjoyed some of the slower tracks, especially Only Ones Who Know. Starts strong with Brianstorm and Teddy Picker, drops a little bit with some somewhat boring songs in Do Me A Favour, If You Were There Beware, and especially The Bad Thing (though I like the transition between the first 2). Overall ... read more
1 | Brianstorm 2:52 | 92 |
2 | Teddy Picker 2:40 | 88 |
3 | D Is for Dangerous 2:14 | 84 |
4 | Balaclava 2:47 | 84 |
5 | Fluorescent Adolescent 2:53 | 93 |
6 | Only Ones Who Know 3:01 | 82 |
7 | Do Me a Favour 3:25 | 87 |
8 | This House Is a Circus 3:09 | 85 |
9 | If You Were There, Beware 4:34 | 82 |
10 | The Bad Thing 2:23 | 73 |
11 | Old Yellow Bricks 3:07 | 84 |
12 | 505 4:13 | 95 |
#2 | / | NME |
#3 | / | musicOMH |
#3 | / | Q Magazine |
#4 | / | MOJO |
#13 | / | Consequence of Sound |
#19 | / | Gigwise |
#19 | / | SPIN |
#34 | / | Drowned in Sound |
#96 | / | Paste |
/ | AllMusic |