Title: The Next Big Thing?
Review: The Arctic Monkeys are four 20 year old Englishmen who have exploded on the British music scene. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am Not became the fastest selling debut album in British music history. The album is very Anglo-centric and the question is will it play well in America. It should as it is a smart, tight collection of songs that draws on everyone from the Jam to The Kinks to The Strokes to The Libertines while sounding quite original in its own right. "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" is a high powered single while "When The Sun Goes Down" is a smart and strong track. "Fake Tales of San Francisco" and "Maybe Vampires Is a Bit Strong" both take on the music press with a scathing tone. "A Certain Romance" is a more restrained song compared to the barrel straight ahead style of the rest of the album. The band's motto is don't believe the hype, but thanks to this sterling debut, they come pretty close to doing just that.
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