Vinyl of the Week - 28 FEBRUARY 2021

AM, Arctic Monkeys

Last week I borrowed this record from my daughter. It was one that I gave her for Xmas and hadn’t had an opportunity to listen to since. I had of course heard the singles but never got into the band further. Until now. AM is the 5th studio album from English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. Released in 2013, it was recorded in Joshua Tree, California and takes inspiration from a range of genres - psychedelic rock, blues, soul, R&B, hip hop, hard rock, heavy metal - to form an individual style that feels different yet familiar all at the same time. Frontman Alex Turner says the title for this album was an idea borrowed from the Velvet Underground who used the band’s initials for their 1985 compilation album. To add an extra dimension, the graphic on the cover is a typical formation of the AM radio signal. The album features guest vocals from Josh Homme of QOTSA fame, a payback collaboration following Alex’s contribution on Like Clockwork. Homme refers to AM as a ‘really cool, sexy after-midnight record... it’s really good’. And I’m inclined to agree. So my advice this week is to raid the vinyl collection of those closest to you. Like me, you might be pleasantly surprised by what you find - DS