Hey, Hey, It's the Monkeys (Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - Arctic Monkeys)

Member Name: rleigh

Product:	Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - Arctic Monkeys
Date:	30/08/08 (101 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The music is quite fun to listen to, great to dance along to.

Disadvantages: A couple of filler tracks included here, very dodgy lyrics in parts.

'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' is the super successful debut album from the Sheffield based indie band that is the Arctic Monkeys. The album sold over 360 000 copies in its first week of going on sale, it was the fastest selling debut album in the UK since Oasis 'Definitely Maybe' effort in 1994; an incredibly fine achievement for the four lads from Sheffield. Is it actually any good an album though? Well, it's not quite so magnificent as some people would have you believe, it's still a pretty decent debut effort however and if you're looking for a fun indie rock album then 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' is most definitely well worth listening to. The album comes complete with a number of highly infectious indie rock tracks; it's not perfect, but the music is great fun to dance along to nonetheless. There are thirteen tracks present here and many of them truly are a lot of fun to listen along to.

Beginning with 'The View from the Afternoon' the album possesses great energy right from the word go; it's a fantastic opening track and the guitar work is absolutely excellent here. The drumbeat is simple, the chorus is belted out with great vigour however and it's the fine way in which the vocals combine with the guitar sound here which makes this track so strong. It's an energetic little number and as you listen to the track it really leaves you wanting for more (and with twelve tracks left to play on the album there's plenty more to come too).

Second track 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor' is probably the best known from this album, it was the bands first single and ever since its release has been an indie club dance floor filler. I'm not much of a fan of this one, I find it incredibly cheesy and having been played to death ever since its release I've long since tired of this track. It's excellent for getting the tight trousered kids onto the dance floor, it's not one for me however and although it's undeniably catchy I also find it to be incredibly irritating to listen to.

'Fake Tales of San Francisco' is the track to follow and then comes 'Dancing Shoes', both of these tracks are danceable indie anthems and a lot of fun to listen to. What you will notice about this album however is that a lot of the tracks do sound very much the same. There's a distinct lack of variation here and a lot of the tracks therefore blend into one and you struggle to tell them apart. There are a few present here that do stand out, very rarely does the band do anything particularly out of the ordinary however and for the most part the music of the Arctic Monkeys is very creatively limited. This is not necessarily a bad thing; if you like one track then you'll probably like the vast majority if not them all, it's just not a hugely exciting album to listen to on the whole; it's good and everything, just nothing particularly groundbreaking.

In terms of the best of the rest then you've got 'Mardy Bum' which has pretty excellent lyrics and a powerful guitar progression, 'When the Sun Goes Down' which for me is the absolute highlight of the album, and closing track 'A Certain Romance' which is quite a bouncy and fun track to bring the album to its end. What's so excellent about 'When the Sun Goes Down' though? For me it just grabs my full undivided attention every time I listen to it, the track possesses a lot of energy and always the sound is packed full of excitement. It's a terrific track and the first that I ever think of when anyone ever mentions the Arctic Monkeys. It's an absolutely excellent indie track and I doubt the Arctic Monkeys will ever be able to pen as good a track as this one again. The lyrics aren't anything particularly special, the track has a terrific rhythm however and everything just seems to come together to near enough perfection here; a true Arctic Monkeys classic.

'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' is an album that I'd most definitely highly recommend listening to; it's not the best thing since sliced bread, it's still a hugely enjoyable indie rock album to listen to however and for the most part it's an awful lot of fun to listen to. There are a couple of filler tracks present here, there are also a good couple of top notch indie anthems however and the album is well worth listening to for those alone. 'When the Sun Goes Down' is an absolutely brilliant track as too is 'The View from the Afternoon', I'd thoroughly recommend taking a listen to both of these tracks and 'Fake Tales of San Francisco' is also one which you should definitely consider giving a spin. This is not one of the greatest indie rock albums ever, it's certainly not bad though and always the music is packed full of positivity here which therefore provides for a very uplifting and pleasant overall listening experience. Arctic Monkeys is not the best band ever to have existed, there's no denying that 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' is still a decent indie rock album however and if you're after a bit of a dance and music that will make you smile then this is most certainly something that the Arctic Monkeys can provide for you with this debut album.

The album can currently be bought from Amazon.co.uk for just £5.98; a decent price if you ask me and at that sort of cost well worth purchasing.

Summary: The Arctic Monkeys debut album is well worth listening to for all fans of indie rock.