Alex Turner and company shoot for the stars, land on the moon
From malfunctioning virtual reality masks to interstellar taquerias, the latest album from Sheffield, Eng., rockstars Arctic Monkeys, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, has it all. Frontman Alex Turner wears his influences on his sleeve, and takes us on a journey in an album that sounds like space rock meant to be performed in a jazz lounge clouded by a haze of smoke.
From the first chords of opening track “Star Treatment,” a listener familiar with the Monkeys’ past work can tell that this album will be nothing like what they have done before. On past albums, Arctic Monkeys have had a very accessible style. Their 2013 album AM, in particular, brought the band into the spotlight, going platinum and topping charts in multiple countries. With Tranquility Base, the band takes a vast departure from their previous sound, ambitiously ditching their radio appeal for a deep dive into their own futuristic odyssey — a departure that pays off in some, but not all, regards. The lyrics of “Star Treatment” poke fun at this sonic 180, as Turner jokes about the dreams he had as a young artist — “I just wanted to be one of The Strokes” — and the way he might alienate fans: “I’m a big name in deep space, ask your mates.”
Turner’s theatrical vocal performances on many tracks have a clear Bowie influence. As such, a Bowie-esque sound over the immaculately produced instruments on these songs would have been a terrific accomplishment, but Turner’s voice does not seem up to the challenge, as it is inconsistent throughout. He hits a perfect stride on “The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip,” but over-enunciates to the point of obnoxiousness on “One Point Perspective.” It’s a shame, because these missteps overshadow some fantastic moments on the more inconsistent songs.
Despite occasional lulls, Tranquility Base contains some spectacular tunes. The song “American Sports” paints a dystopian future similar to one that Father John Misty would write about, with lines such as “Can I please have my money back? / My virtual reality mask is stuck on ‘Parliament Brawl’ / Emergency battery pack, just in time for my weekly chat / With God on video call.” The album’s epic five-minute centrepiece, “Four Out of Five,” paints Turner as the manager of a taqueria on the moon — “It was well reviewed / Four stars out of five / And that’s unheard of” — who shamelessly boosts the “Cute new places” popping up around his taco stand as a result of lunar gentrification. “The Ultracheese” rings out the album in the form of a beautiful piano ballad about lost friendships, mistakes, and how detached we become from who we once were, losing a sense of ourselves as we move through life. Turner tries to reconnect with his younger self on this track, reminiscing on the good old days, while lamenting their loss and the inevitable decay of all beautiful things: “Trust the politics to come along / When you were just trying to orbit the sun / When you were just about to be kind to someone.”
Overall, Arctic Monkeys comes through with a fascinating concept album that, while entertaining, falls short of being great due to vocal inconsistencies and lyrical misfires. Personally, I have always enjoyed the band as a casual listen, and never really cared for most of their discography — with Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, Turner and Co. have earned my respect by creating an ambitious project that has me interested in what’s to come.