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Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys
2006 | Rock
10
8.3 (8 Ratings)
Album Rating
Rolling Stone's 371st greatest album of all time
Absolute belter of an album. If you can get past the rock and roll cliché that Alex Turner has become (generally more coked-up than the soft drinks aisle of Tesco at Christmas), this is simply a load of well written fast rock songs with punk ethics. There are so many excellent songs here that it is easy to forget, from their smash debut single I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, and Dancing Shoes to the slower paced Mardy Bum and Riot Van. A great band (at the time!) loving their time in the studio.
  
Wonderful Wonderful by The Killers
Wonderful Wonderful by The Killers
2017 | Alternative, Indie
Alternative rock band The Killers are back in business with their 5th studio album, Wonderful Wonderful. The lead single off this album, “The Man,” was an instant hit with me. I remember thinking to myself when I first heard it on the radio, “This would make a great choice for an ESPN promo song during football season.” Sure enough, once the 2017 NFL season was underway I heard the song playing during an episode of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown. Are those good instincts or what?
 
Anyways, going back to “The Man,” if you haven’t yet been struck by the contagion of the song you are missing out! The lyrics are so puffed up and arrogant, they’re simultaneously ridiculous and fun to listen to. Altogether, the song’s fast-paced, high-energy style reminds me a lot of “Move” by the band Saint Motel. It is the perfect song to listen to if and when you need to get pumped up for something.
 
Okay, enough about “The Man.” The 9 other tracks on The Killers’ latest album are all worth listening to as well. The second most energetic song on the album, “Run For Cover,” addresses domestic abuse; another track, “Rut” focuses on the struggles of PTSD; “Tyson vs Douglas” echoes the shock that lead vocalist Brandon Flowers felt after watching Mike Tyson get defeated for the first time in the memorable 1990 boxing match. The songs in this album are all so different from one another both message-wise and sound-wise, and that’s part of what makes Wonderful Wonderful one of the best albums The Killers have released. Fun fact: In one of the songs, “Some Kind of Love,” Flowers has his 3 sons doing backup vocals near the end…how cool is that?