Arctic Monkeys’ latest album, The Car, perfectly caters to old souls, but not as much to fans of the band itself. 

The album almost completely neglects the upbeat rock sound present in the band’s early albums, and fully embraces the slow, jazzy direction shown in their previous album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. Fans of groovy bass and slow rock will love this album, but those who were expecting a return to the classic A.M. sound to scream along to will sadly be let down. 

This doesn’t make the album necessarily bad, but it’s definitely an adjustment for longtime fans. 

The song “Sculptures Of Anything Goes,” does show that the band is still capable of producing dark and edgy tunes. 

The band generally takes a creative approach, with many of the songs repeating the idea of “The Car.” The imagery of the car could be interpreted as many different things, but it generally provokes feelings of nostalgia and the idea of a safe space. 

The album itself is quite short, being 10 songs and about 37 minutes long, but it still manages to take the listener on a romantic, emotional, and thought-provoking journey. Yet the band’s new sound, as provocative as it may be, does start to become repetitive a few songs in, and the short length of the album does give a longing for more depth. 

Still, the album deserves a few listens to be fully absorbed. The early David Bowie-esque vocals and loungey beats provide an interesting and refreshing new album for the indie scene.