Set.
A friend introduced me to their debut as their much older brother’s taste in music: “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.” What could be a more attractive title for a teenager in the jumbled up in the of confusion of self-discovery? I was captivated by their unrestrained spiky rock sound, accentuated Alex Turner’s distinct Yorkshire accent. But over the last two decades, the Arctic Monkeys have evolved and so have I.
Arctic Monkeys are most well-known for AM, which was more than a mainstream sensation: they found their sound in a new era. Losing the angst, swagger and stoner rock edge of their earlier albums, their music was replaced with suave melodies and all-encompassingpercussion. In the midst of a rock phase, I wasn’t a fan of AM on my first, second, or third listen.
But, in 2018, Spotify blasted me with their new album and I gave The Monkeys another go. I was immediately drawn into the out-of-this-world space theme of “Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino” and the conceptual ideas of consumerism echoed in the lyrics. The album shifted the band’s focus from feeling to thinking as I, too, began to reflect on the ways I interacted with the world around me.
Setting.
Nashville,2023— the ten-year anniversary of “AM” and first time The Arctic Monkeys were goingtour in threee years. The thought of seeing them live in Music City excited the 14-year old inside of me and for nostalgia’s sake, I resolved to go.
Ascend Amphitheater is an open-air venue with a lower set stage for great views, perfect for general lawn admission. Feeling the cool fall air on my face, we clustered in close proximity as Turner’s resonant baritone filled the spaces between us. Turner styled a black suit and pinstripe shirt, presenting the sharp look of a seasoned showman determined to keep us on our toes even after playing 100 shows on this tour. With the ever-changing order of the setlist, delayed lyrical delivery, and his signature black aviators, Turner’s performance matches the witty, enigmatic nature of their newest album—The Car.
“Yesterday’s still leaking through the roof, that’s nothing new,” goes the intro of their lead track, setting up lost trains of thought as threads in the larger story of life. Hearing these songs live, I’ve come to appreciate The Car as a meditation on un-resolution, the continuation of how things are while doubt and longing will always linger. This perspective is one I’m slowly understanding and now having a soundtrack to back me up feels like ascension.
Arctic Monkeys is a band that can make you feel, but more uniquely, think. As I screamed, “you’re falling about, you took a left off Last Laugh Lane,” and lost myself as one among six-thousand others, I asked myself the same question Alex Turner returns to time and time again as he ushered in another phase of my life: Do I Wanna Know?
Featured graphic by Sadie Karr
