Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See

Often tragically tarred with the same naff indie brush as the likes of The Kooks and The Wombats, Arctic Monkeys are actually an altogether more complicated and intriguing proposition. Previous album Humbug was a dense, rewarding, intelligently-written gem produced under the mentorship of Josh Homme, who's influence shone through. That influence remains in the strongest parts of this new album.

Though infuriatingly dumb flagship video (note: NOT single) Brick by Brick does nothing to support this case, the likes of Piledriver Waltz, All My Own Stunts (featuring Homme on backing vocals) and first single Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair all see the band pushing the musicianship of some otherwise delightfully simple pop songs. There are no apparent potential rivals for I'll Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, but then there's more to Arctic Monkeys than whimsical indie rock soundbites.