Arctic Monkeys, Humbug
Official release date: August 24
The Verdict: In 2007, then-21-year-old Arctic Monkeys leader Alex Turner blazed so fast through the dozen songs on his band’s second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, that he forgot to write melodies for half of them. Thankfully, old age has slowed him down a little for the Monkeys’ third record, Humbug, which ambled its way onto file-sharing sites overnight. On a first listen, tracks like “My Propeller,†“Dangerous Animals,†and “Potion Approaching†sound like catchier, half-speed versions of ones from Nightmare; “Dance Little Liar†and “Cornerstone†seem to share DNA with songs by Turner’s recent side project, Last Shadow Puppets; and “The Jeweler’s Hands,†our favorite so far, borrows the piano riff from Kanye’s “Heartless.†We think we’re gonna like this.