If you don't remember The Arctic Monkeys' 2007 sophomore album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, you're not alone. Despite the fact that the band's previous album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, held the honor of being the fastest-selling debut ever in the U.K. (it ultimately went quadruple platinum), fans weren't as receptive to the new set of heavier, faster tunes.
This, paired with the departure of original bassist Andy Nicholson due to fatigue from touring and dealing with the band's sudden rise to fame, and it looked like Arctic Monkeys were destined to be yet another band that couldn't outlive the massive amounts of hype bestowed upon it. Then, after some recording sessions in the Mojave Desert with producer (and Queens of the Stone Age frontman) Josh Homme, the band finally seemed comfortable with itself—perhaps for the first time. With the recent release of Humbug the Arctic Monkeys have finally shown a willingness to venture into new territory; with the new album's experimental edge and dips into psychedelia, the band is proving that it is completely deserving of a new batch of hype—one worth garnering this time around.
