Boy am I glad I listened to Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino prior to this single being dropped. Otherwise, I would be really, REALLY confused…
A little context to my near miss with confusion;
I was first introduced to Arctic Monkeys and how most people were also introduced to them via Do I Wanna Know (technically it was actually the video to Fluorescent Adolescent, but I don’t count that since I didn’t know at that time who they were). Over the years I have garnered a mixed view of AM, where the rose-tinted glasses have faded. The instrumental approach and overall pretentious feel of it have dampened my opinion of it.
And then in comes Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino…
Initially, the only exposure that I ever had to this album was a single thumbnail on a Youtube video referring to it as something of an underrated masterpiece. I went into it without any expectations, and yet I was still caught off guard by how much softer their tone has become. Gone are the days of brit-rock, replaced by instrumentals that I wouldn’t be surprised to hear on something out of the 50s.
To Summarize;
I would recommend going into this new single and subsequent album with the understanding that this sound did not come completely out of the blue, but rather something that has been in development for a few years at this point. That roughly translates to, “listen to Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino before listening to There’d Better Be a Mirrorball (and the rest of The Car for that matter)”.
Back to our regularly scheduled review…
We open the scene with a sombre piano melody punctuated by a full-string section, only to fade out and be replaced temporarily by a rather sinister sequence of key taps from the piano. Upon first listening, I immediately drew comparisons to the previously mentioned Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. Heavy reliance on string sections and inspiration from what I assume is something that came out of a 50s ballroom initially had me guessing they were aiming for a continuation of their previously developed style. However, on closer inspection, I would say There’d Better Be A Mirrorball would be more often mistaken as a song from generations past due to some subtle style changes. AM have done away with the bass and electric keyboard and replaced them with brass and woodwind instruments.
These tonal changes don’t just stop instrumentally however…
The vocals:
After flipping back and forth between There’d Better Be A Mirrorball and Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino it becomes extremely obvious that there has been a huge shift in how Alex Turner has done his vocals. Not only are the instrumentals much softer and lighter than in previous outings, but Alex puts his suave on and gives us a sincere serenade. Unless I’ve missed something off of Suck It and See, Humbug, or Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, this is a serious departure from either the tight vocals from Favourite Worst Nightmare or even the avant-garde approach of Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. The closest vocal style I can compare Alex’s to is… actually I can’t quite pin down who it is it reminds me of. Whatever it is, it’s a heck of a lot smoother than any other Arctic Monkeys’ performance that I know of. The drawn-out syllables at the end of each line allow for a much more emotional performance.
A missed chance:
However much Alex has developed his vocal performance, I still feel there’s something missing in There’d Better Be A Mirrorball. Everything sounds so grand, so larger-than-the-room that the build-up should have been more than what it was. The tone hovers around the same mark past the opening, only to rise rapidly during the bridge. Does it sound amazing? Yes. Does it sound grand and closes the song out well? Also yes, I just feel like a step was missed. Some sort of chord progression during the second verse would have been warmly welcomed in my books.
In summary:
There’d Better Be A Mirrorball is quite a change for Arctic Monkeys sonically, not so much so in the subject. Alex has put on quite the performance for us, and I like what I see in this change. It still needs some progression refining, due to the rather abrupt onset of the grand exit that is the second chorus.
8/10:
A grand exposé of vocal prowess and sonic development, while progression is still something to be desired.
Also that opening piano *thunk* *thunk* *thunk* after that few seconds of silence may just be my favourite few seconds of music this year.
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