Arctic Monkeys punctuated their arrival with 2006’s Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, a boisterous record whose success eclipsed that of their forebears and defined the next big step in British rock. Now based in Los Angeles and with four LPs behind them, the band from Sheffield flourishes with AM, its most fluent and cohesive record.

If Arctic Monkeys’ evolution is marked by a steady development of the brash garage sound and sarcastic lyrical wit that propelled them to fame in 2006, AM is a brave divergence into uncharted waters. On the album opener “Do I Wanna Know?”, a star-crossed lover’s song that bears its blues influences on its sleeve, rapid guitars are waived in favor of a bass drum’s momentous stomp while singer Alex Turner’s keen allegorical lens is turned inward, focused on the more shrouded rituals of late night desire. “The mixture hits you hard,” sings Turner on “One For the Road”, prescriptively adding, “Don’t get that sinking feeling, don’t fall apart/ Some out of tune guitar/ Soundtrack to disaster.” Even at its most accelerated (“R U Mine?” and album highlight “Arabella”), this formula thrusts with a weight that never strays beyond the limits of the band’s control.

Although much of their charm derives from a vigorous brand of freewheeling alternative rock, Arctic Monkeys still impresses with slower numbers like “No. 1 Party Anthem”, “Mad Sounds”, and “Wanna Be Yours” where Turner leans unabashedly on the tender notes, revealing his own vulnerability lingering just underneath. Complete with “ooh-la-la”‘s, these sincere turns brace a strong second half that swells with the palpitating “Fireside” and settles with the hauntingly seductive “Knee Socks”, demonstrating the unflinching purpose with which the band seeks to expand their bounds.

★★★★★

amaenche@mavs.coloradomesa.edu