As much as the praise showered upon Alex Turner's lyrics was deserved when Arctic Monkeys debut album was released, it did feel a bit of a shame that the rest of the band were slightly overlooked.
If Brainstorm, the first single from the upcoming Favourite Worst Nightmare, is anything to go by, it won't be a mistake that will be repeated this time round. The Sheffield foursome are on mighty form here, from Jamie Cook's obscenely exciting opening guitar riff, right through to Matt Helder (surely the finest drummer working today) battering hell out of his skins. It's more raw and heavy than previous Arctic material, but they can't quite shake off that pop sensibility - after a couple of listens, the chorus won't be able to leave your head. In fact, it's rather like The Klaxons would be if they were anything like as revolutionary as they thought they were.
And if you're worried that fame may have affected Turner's lyrics, fear not. Brianstorm is an viciously funny sketch of a schmoozer that the band met backstage during a tour of the US. "We can't take our eyes off the t-shirt and ties combination - well, see you later innovator!" runs one lyric. And to top it all off, it's even got a great false ending. Still got it, then.
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